


No Saint

by Aeneas, reigncorp_for_life



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, At least not permanently..., Complete, F/F, F/M, Mon-El is Matello kinda, No Lesbians Die
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-01-29 02:29:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12621148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeneas/pseuds/Aeneas, https://archiveofourown.org/users/reigncorp_for_life/pseuds/reigncorp_for_life
Summary: Mon-El is kidnapped and Kara realises that wasn't love. Instead, she is consoled by Lena Luthor, whom she starts developing feelings for. What happens when Mon-El comes back with vengeance, armed with Kryptonite and fuelled by rage?Or a SuperCorp AU where Mon-El is basically Matello who wants revenge for Lena stealing his girl.Complete.





	1. Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> based off [this](https://rowrrz.tumblr.com/post/166554121206/no-saint-supergirl-au-movie-trailer-little) amazing post on tumblr.
> 
> PINKY PROMISE NO WLW DIE

Kara basked in the warmth that radiated off Lena’s body, a stark contrast to the chilly night. She cradled the CEO’s body in her arms, hugging her close to her chest. The night had been peaceful, the only slight commotion being near Metropolis, which she and J’onn had handled easily. She relaxed back on the sofa, bringing Lena back with her.

“Kara?” Lena whispered, lifting her head from Supergirl’s chest. The moment felt intimate, like a secret she wasn’t supposed to know, “What if we become our parents?” She turned to face the hero, “What if we become evil just like them?”

Kara sighed, the weight of the question sinking in, “You aren’t like your mother, Lena.” She ran her fingers through Lena’s hair, “As I am not like mine.” It still hurt when Kara admitted her parents weren’t saints.

She felt Lena’s hand take her own and gulped at the relaxation she felt, this was what home felt like. All those times Alex talked to her about Maggie being ‘the one’ finally made sense. It was overwhelming to say the least.

  
She had never felt love of this degree before, only James came close and their love was strictly platonic now. They had only been dating for a short amount of time, but Kara could see herself growing old with Lena. The two would get a house on the beachfront, somewhere on the outskirts of Metropolis, or Midvale even, their kids coming to visit every so often. Sleeping together; not necessarily in the sexual way, just drifting off to sleep while she held Lena tightly. She would take Lena’s last name, prove to her that the Luthor name meant something better. Together they would dissipate every prejudicial jerkface who dared to assume Lena was evil.

Kara shook her head, coming out of her reverie to see Lena staring up at her.

Lena smiled softly, her emerald eyes shining bright in her dimly lit apartment, “Can you tell me again about your planet? Please?”

Kara’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she tried to recall every small detail, “We weren’t a poor family, one of the richest actually. When Kal—Clark was born, I knew he was special. It was clear we were meant for something more. We just didn’t know what.”

Lena stroked her thumb over Kara’s hand reassuringly, noticing her clenched jaw, “You don’t have to tell me if it’s too much. Don’t worry, Kara.” The alien’s eyes looked hollow, broken.

“No, I- I want to.” She replied, taking a deep breath, “Krypton was perfect, the atmosphere was clean, the air crisp. It was perfect.” Kara fiddled with her necklace, “My mother gave me this before I was sent to Earth.” She choked back a sob and Lena’s heart broke at the sight.

Lena stared into Kara’s eyes, amazed at the vulnerability she was allowed to see. It was strange being able to relate so much to another person. Lena was grateful that she had been given a chance to love the hero. She would be damned if she messed this relationship up.

“I thought my mother was an angel, that she couldn’t hurt a fly. And I was wrong,” The Girl of Steel’s voice broke, “She was corrupt and despicable, I was too young or too naïve to see that.” She ducked her head, eyes fixated on the cool metal around her neck.

“It wasn’t your fault, Kara, you couldn’t have known your mother would do bad.” Lena softened her eyes, placing her hand on Kara’s cheek. Their eyes met slowly, and Lena smiled reassuringly.

“Exactly.” Kara took one last look into Lena’s eyes before she got up to get them some water, “You couldn’t have known Lillian was evil.” She immediately felt colder after having left the younger woman’s side.

Lena scoffed but her eyes were playful, “You’re clever, Miss Danvers.”

Kara returned with the water and she placed a chaste kiss on Lena’s lips, Lena pulled her closer, her hand on the alien’s waist, the other coming up to wipe Kara’s tearstained cheeks. Straddling her waist, Kara deepened the kiss and reached up to cup Lena’s cheek. Lena pulled back reluctantly, putting her forehead against Kara’s shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, the CEO whispered, “I don’t want to rush this. Whatever _we_ are, we need to do it right.”

“I know.” Kara agreed, kissing her cheek. She rolled off her girlfriend’s body and sighed, “Chinese or Indian?”

“I swear, if you weren’t an alie—”

The door burst open. Kara’s heart stopped from fear. Lena’s heart slowed from the bullet.

 

_**Two weeks ago:**_  

 

Kara felt empty. It had been 12 hours since Mon-El had vanished, Maggie said he had to be missing for 24 hours before she could file a Missing Person’s report. She paced around her apartment, phone in hand. There was a possibility Mon-El had just got drunk at the bar and slept it off with some random woman, but Kara really believed he had changed. He still flirted with every woman who breathed, even some aliens at the DEO, but he wouldn’t cheat on her. Right?

There was a knock at the door and Kara all but sprinted to it.

“Mo—” She stopped herself as she saw the familiar face looking back at her, concern etched in her features, “Oh, Alex. Have you heard anything?”

Her big sister strode into the apartment, “Not yet. Winn’s monitoring Police scanners along with Maggie. But Kara,” She took in the alien’s distressed features, “What are the chances that he just decided to leave?”

“No, he-- he wouldn’t do that.” Kara wrung her fingers, frowning, “He’s changed.”

“I know you think that,” Alex reached out to her sister, “And I respect that. But please, Kara, don’t think for a second he loves you. What kind of man argues with his girlfriend every second he’s around her? Who lies constantly about who he is, or what his motives are?”

“Alex, stop!” Kara bit her lip before she could start crying, “Please, I just wanted to help him be a better person.”

Alex tutted, frustrated, “It’s not your job, Kar! If he wanted to be a better person, then he should have done it on his own. It’s not a woman’s job to make a man better.”

Kara opened her mouth to retort but no words came out. It was true. Everything her sister was saying. He was abusive and horrible to her, yet she put up with it because she wanted to make him better. But some people were just bad, no matter how hard she tried. Kara sighed as she sat down on her sofa, hugging her legs to her chest. Alex’s eyes softened, and she joined her sister, wrapping her in a tight embrace.

“Kara just,” Alex breathed deeply, “..take some time for yourself.”

The alien sniffed, “I can’t bear the thought of him being dead. Alex, what if he’s dead?”

“We’ll get through it,” Alex’s reassuring voice lulled Kara into a state of calmness again.

“I should get to work,” Kara wiped the traces of tears and kissed her sister's cheek thankfully.

__

 

Kara worked on autopilot, writing up articles for James – enough to keep her from getting fired but not enough to make them any decent. It was lunch break when Kara got a call from Winn.

“Winn, what do you have?” Kara asked manically, her voice straining to be quiet in Noonan’s.

“Okay, first of all, you sound like crap!” Her friend’s voice filtered through the phone and Kara allowed a small smile on her lips, “Second, yes. Mon-El was kidnapped. The details are sketchy, and we aren’t even sure who was driving the vehicle he was stuffed into.”

Kara breathed out a sigh of relief; at least he hadn’t just run away.

“Thanks Winn, send me the car’s details and I’ll try to track it down.” Kara stated, her sandwich long forgotten.

“Wait, Kar,” Winn called her attention back, “Are you doing okay?”

Kara cringed. She hated when people asked her. She wasn’t okay, they knew that, but it was easier to just ignore her pain, It would go away eventually. After the talk with Alex, she realised that whatever she had with Mon-El wasn’t love. Attraction, maybe, but not love.

“I need to get back to work, James is keeping me busy.” Kara hung up before Winn could continue. Sighing, Kara gathered her notepad, pen and coat, and made her way to her next interview.

__

The building stood tall against its surroundings, the metallic symbol looking harshly over the city. Kara’s heels clicked on the pale floor tiles, and she held her notepad closer to her chest. The superhero didn’t know if she was ready to face Lena so soon. She had been blowing everyone off since Mon-El had left but she couldn’t freeze out her best friend too. Lena had already been through too much with her family not caring for her, she didn’t need it from Kara too. This new information about Mon-El’s whereabouts gnawed at the back of her mind now, but Kara tried to stay focused on her job.

Jess nodded her though and opened her door. The secretary looked thankful as she ushered Kara over the threshold.

“Kara!” Lena’s usually youthful verdant orbs looked tired, as if she hadn’t slept in months, “If I knew you were coming I would have tidied up a bit.”

Kara took in the surprising sight of papers tossed around the room, an open laptop on the sofa, and a scruffy-looking Lena Luthor buried behind her desk. All previous thoughts about Mon-El vanished and were replaced with concern about her friend’s work-life balance. Or lack thereof.

The reporter readjusted her glasses to mask her shock, “You look busy.”

Lena rolled her eyes playfully, “Well observed, you should be a detective.”

“Believe it or not, I wanted to be a cop when I was younger,” Kara grinned thinking back to the work experience she and Alex got in the Spring break, 2005, “Eliza, my adoptive mom, she told us off when we came home with the leaflet, but Jeremiah convinced her to let us go.”

Lena observed the far-away look on her friend’s face and snapped her out of it, “Not that I don’t enjoy your company but what are you doing here?”

“I’m just here to do another puff piece,” Kara took the seat opposite Lena, “with no ulterior motive, this time.”

“After the day I’ve had, I could really use this interview.” Lena joked.

“What’s happened?” Kara frowned.

The CEO waved her hand dismissively, “This new businessman just moved here and is looking to buy shares in L-Corp.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Kara struggled to understand where her friend was coming from.

“It would be,” Lena’s head tilted to one side, “if the man wasn’t a complete belligerent obsessed only with expanding his power.”

Kara groaned, “That sounds awful.”

Lena hummed, “What’s keeping you so busy then? I haven’t seen you all week.”

“Ah, just, um, work stuff.” Kara mentally berated herself for the obvious lie. It didn’t feel good to lie to Lena, or anyone for that matter but Kara didn’t know if she was prepared to tell her the truth yet. There was still the chance Lena would end up hating her.

“How about dinner tonight? You can get your quotes then. My treat.” Lena’s eyebrow twitched up and Kara tried to convince herself it wasn’t flirting.

“Fine,” Kara agreed, grinning, “But I’m paying for my food.”

“Fair enough,” Lena’s eyes softened, “It’s great to see you, Kara.”

The alien rounded the desk to stand in front of her best friend, she picked up on her superhearing to find that Lena was holding her breath.

Kara put her hand on her friend’s shoulder, “Thanks, Lena.”

The older girl hugged her from behind, earning a surprised laugh from Lena. She felt herself relax into Kara, not wanting her to let go. She felt content for a moment; as her tiredness was dissipating she breathed in Kara's strawberry aroma. Over all too soon, Kara grinned and released her, muttering another thanks before she left.

  
Lena relaxed back onto her desk chair and massaged her temples, the beaming smile permanently set on her face. Trust Kara to make her day worthwhile. She got up to refill her wine glass, thinking about how obvious she had been this time, she no longer tried to hide the fact that she was flirting with Kara.

The older girl didn’t seem opposed to it but was that out of innocence? Surely Kara would have figured it out now that Lena was in love with her. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys are enjoying! Massive thanks to @rowrrz on tumblr for the inspiration and making sure this shitstorm makes sense!!
> 
> Lemme know what you think/how I could improve! Updates will (hopefully) be weekly, if not come scream at us on Tumblr


	2. Dates

Lena stared herself down in the mirror, forcing her walls to come down and expose the vulnerability she felt around Kara. Lena scoffed, realising how deep she was already. After only knowing Kara for a few months, the fact that she was already past infatuation and desire and onto _love_... It was dangerous yet exhilarating.

Lena took one last look at herself – the black cocktail dress hugged her curves perfectly, paired with red stilettos that matched her lipstick. If they were going to kiss, Lena had to make sure she could reach Kara’s lips. She rolled her eyes at herself; Kara was dating that guy – Mike? – and she could never love Lena. Not the way she wanted, and not even if Mike had disappeared.

Lena’s phone vibrated in her purse.

“Kara!” She answered after checking the ID, “I’ll be there in five minutes.” 

The restaurant she had decided to take Kara to was relatively quaint compared to the other’s she’d been to as a child.  
The Golden Gate did exceptional Chinese food and luckily that was Kara’s favourite.

She spotted the older woman and had to pause, her weight resting on an empty table. Seated three rows in, watching the children play in the streets outside, was the most beautiful woman Lena had ever seen. Kara was dressed in a pink pastel dress, her lipstick bright and more prominent than usual, almost Supergirl’s shade. Lena’s cheeks blushed as she realised she was staring. Her heels clicked as she made her way to her date—wait, no, not date, because they were _friends_ and that’s all they would ever be.

Kara’s face lit up when she saw her, “Lena! You look stunning.”

 _If I wasn’t blushing before_ , She thought as she took a seat opposite her friend.

“Have you decided what you want to eat?” Lena asked, scanning over the menu.

“Potstickers.” Kara’s stomach growled and she simpered away from Lena’s concerned gaze, “I barely had lunch, sorry.”

“Wasn’t it you who told me skipping meals was bad?” Lena’s eyebrow raised in amusement. She bit her lip to dissuade herself from continuing, “How are you holding up?”

Kara shook her head lightly, “I just want it to be over now. He’s been missing for 32 hours and... I don’t know what to think. I just want to find him and bring him home.”

Lena’s stomach dropped as she remembered how Kara’s voice wavered earlier in the day when she said Mike had disappeared. They texted each other, talking about how he wouldn’t have just skipped out on Kara. Unless, of course, he was a despicable human who didn’t really love her. Lena had never met Mike but the bile rose in her throat and she gulped down a glass of wine. The waiter came up to their table and took their orders – Kara wanting Potstickers and Lena opting for shredded chicken wrapped in lettuce.

“You needed to interview me, right?” Lena tried to change the subject.

“Yes!” The life returned to Kara’s eyes as she scrambled to fetch her notebook, “As I said, it’s just a puff-piece about how equal representation in the workplace matters.”

“So how I’m a female boss?” Lena questioned as their food arrived.

“Exactly,” Kara murmured over a bite of a potsticker. She moaned at the taste and Lena could feel the blush heating up her skin, “What inspired you to take ownership of LuthorCorp?”

The younger woman poked at the lettuce sluggishly, trying to calm herself down, “Lex left it to me, I didn’t have much of a say.” Lena’s posture straightened as she remembered everything she said was on the record, “But now I don’t see it as a burden. I want to inspire young women, kids, everywhere to be what they want to be, do what they want to do."

Kara smiled as she took notes, "Was that why you used most of the money you earned in the first year to fund five children's orphanages?"

"Well," She paused, structuring the answer, "As you may know I was adopted by the Luthor family. For years, with my father, I grew up loved..." Lena took a measly bite of her salad, "I wanted to give back to my community."

Kara nodded. She looked up, pen resting against her chin, "If you could give a piece of advice to young girls out there, what would it be?"

"Don't doubt yourself." Lena's eyes turned glassy, remembering the idiots who said she couldn’t lead the company because she was just a scientist with a fancy name, "There will be times when you are undermined; by people who speak the loudest or have more money, but don't forget how much effort you put in to get where you are."

"Wow, Lena, that’s..." Kara shook her head, amazed. She placed her notebook in her purse and resumed her meal, "How are things at work?"

"The usual," The CEO replied, "I'm meeting with a potential investor tomorrow, his name's Gand I think. He's interested in buying the miniaturisation technology L-Corp invented last month."

"Interesting," Kara stated sarcastically, her eyes shining playfully; Lena couldn't look away.

God, out of all the people Lena could have fallen in love with it had to be her best friend. Her _only_ friend.

Kara's phone starting ringing, blasting out NSYNC's Bye Bye Bye and Lena had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. The embarrassment on Kara's face was priceless.

"Alex?" She answered, "Okay, I'm on my way."

Lena's face dropped but before Kara could say anything she raised her hand, "It's fine, go."

"It's an emergency, I--" Kara readjusted her glasses, annoyed they couldn't finish their meal. But Alex said it was urgent, "Continue this another time?"

"Sure," Lena refused to look at her, downing the remaining wine.

Kara sprinted out of the restaurant, and into an alleyway, already ripping off her regular clothes, the symbol on her chest reminded her that she was doing this for the greater good, and that her friend would understand.

Alex had said about a threat in Midvale, where Eliza lived, and Supergirl needed to make sure she was safe, the city rushed past her like a blur, the air nearly as crisp as Krypton's. The wind assaulted her face mercilessly but Supergirl was numb to that. She needed to make sure Eliza was safe.

Supergirl landed on the ground with a thump, the concrete retreating away from the hero.

She glanced around herself, the familiar streets taking her back in time. The Danvers’ family home stood tall against the surroundings, Supergirl’s hearing overloaded by the forgotten crash of the waves.

  
She closed her eyes, focusing on Eliza’s now erratic heartbeat, Supergirl’s eyes filled with determination as she clicked on her earpiece.

“Winn, what do you see?”

**_Two heat signatures outside your old house, one hotter than the other. Perp is holding the woman in a headlock._ **

“Can you ID the perpetrator?”

 _ **Negative.**_ There was a static pause, _**Watch your back, Supergirl.**_

She spotted the figure – his silver suit was strong, made from lead no doubt, meaning Supergirl couldn’t see what species the perp was. But she could see his face, and it would haunt her for decades.

  
Tracks of verdant, almost the colour of Lena’s eyes, sprinted across his face, leaving angry scars as they passed. His skin was otherwise pale, stubble refusing to grow. He looked almost plastic. But there was emotion behind his eyes – black and dangerous and angry.

His emerald eyes darted to Supergirl’s, tracking her slow, calculated movements. Supergirl edged closer, her tear-filled eyes shot a glance at Eliza’s slump body shielding the man. Eliza was still breathing, thank Rao, but the silver blade dug into the skin of her neck.

Supergirl looked back at him, focusing on the lack of a heartbeat; that meant he had been changed, that he wasn’t inherently evil.

“You’re late,” His voice boomed and Supergirl had to force herself not to flinch away, “I was seconds away from gutting your poor sweet mother.”

“Don’t do this,” She hated how her voice broke, how it wavered when she watched him run the knife over Eliza’s cheek, “Please, I—I’m begging you, Mon-El.”

His laugh was sinister; it sent shivers down her spine.

“Let her go.” Supergirl put up her façade, trying to convince herself she was strong, “And I’ll let you live.”

He tutted, “That’s not how this works.”

“What do you want, Mon-El?” Supergirl roared, but then she felt a pain in her chest. It felt internal but she couldn’t be sure.

“My name is Lar Gand!” He spat, letting Eliza drop to the floor in a heap, “And I’m going to kill everyone you love.”

“Eliza’s done nothing to you!” Kara begged, hot angry tears flowing freely across her cheeks, “Why are you doing this?”

Gand chuckled, the noise sounding cold yet calm, “Did you even look for me?”

“Of co—”

“I was being tortured, Kara!” Gand shouted, stepping away from Eliza’s body, “I was tortured for hours until I was saved. Not by you. Not by J’onn. But by someone who gave me a purpose.”

She wiped her tears away, willing herself not to feel anything for Mon-El. He had changed, but not for the better.

Her eyes flicked down to Mo—Lar Gand’s chest plate. It was silver, like the rest of his suit, but there was a green lining. She squinted and saw a pulsating light erupt around his chest plate, Kara’s breathing became shallow and she clutched her family crest. She knelt down on the asphalt, closing her eyes to compose herself.

“I should have mentioned, my suit has Kryptonite in it.” His boots echoed in the quiet of the night as he circled Supergirl’s crippled figure.

“S—stop.” Kara struggled, gasping. She glanced up at Eliza quickly but she was still down.

Gand yanked her hair, the delicate blonde curls tightly gripped by the gloved hand. Kara winced and felt herself being lifted up. Powerless due to the Kryptonite, she could do nothing but obey. She felt herself bump into Gand’s front and she screwed her eyes shut, hoping this was just some nightmare.

“I’m coming for you, Supergirl.” Lar Gand hissed the name like it was poison, “I’m coming for everyone you love. Starting with Lena Luthor.”

“I loved _you_ , Mon-El.” She tried, compelling herself to look into his harsh eyes, “I loved you.”

“But not anymore.”

Void of any emotions, he dropped her on the floor and Kara clawed at the road to get away.

"You disgust me, Kara Zor-El. They told me stories." Gand said, "About how you and Lena were...together."

"What?" Kara lifted her head up from the ground in shock, "No, I--"

"Shut up!" He screamed, voice breaking, "I don't want to hear your lies!"

"M..." She caught herself before she angered her former lover again, "Lar Gand, Lena and I are not in love. I love her like a friend, but she's innocent, leave her out of this. Your quarrel is with me."

Gand sneered, his smile menacing, "I saw the way she looked at you, Kara. And for that, the human will pay."

Gand tapped his gloved hand onto his chest plate and bend his knees. The road rumbled and Kara shielded herself away from the luminescent green light his suit was emitting. Gand shot up into the sky, flying himself away to Rao knew where.

"Eliza..." Kara regained her strength after being away from the Kryptonite in Lar Gand's suit. She ran to her adoptive mom's side, lifting her head up.

"K-Kara." Eliza's voice came out in a hoarse whisper, "What happened?"

She frowned, cradling her mother's body in her arms, "Hang on, I'm taking you to the DEO."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try not to centre the bulk of the story around Mon-El but he will be the main villain in this story. I'm prewarning you guys just in case that isn't your thing.  
> As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. Thanks for reading!!


	3. Truths

Kara paced the medical wing of the DEO frantically, trying to connect the dots in her mind.

  
Mon-El had been kidnapped, tortured, and turned into Lar Gand who was hell-bent on killing everyone she loved. But why? Surely he wasn’t jealous enough to go on a killing spree, she and Lena weren’t even dating! Of course she sometimes wondered what her friend looked for in girls, or what it felt like to kiss those glossy red lips but that didn’t mean love.

"Kar!" Alex's familiar voice cut through the tension in the hallway. She had her tactical gear on, like she was ready for a fight. The older Danvers sister engulfed the frightened alien in her arms, cradling her head delicately, like the Girl of Steel was going to break.

"Alex you should have seen him," Kara sobbed into Alex's shoulder, "He was a monster."

The agent didn't say anything, she held her sister until the sobs stopped and Kara had calmed down. Kara always wanted to save everyone, but that was unrealistic and naïve, Alex had learnt that through experience.

"He had Kryptonite," Kara's voice sounded small, vulnerable, and Alex's heart broke, "It didn't look pure but it still removed my powers."

"I'll check our reserves, I know J'onn wanted to keep some at our old base." Alex commented, "You gonna be okay while I make the call to Lucy?"

"Of course," Kara brushed it off, her palms coming up to wipe her tears.

"Mom will be fine, she's a fighter." Alex rubbed her hands up Kara's arms soothingly, "It wasn't you fault."

But Kara knew it was. If she'd been there a few minutes earlier instead of giving Lena a half-assed excuse for blowing her off again.  
Lena.

Kara grabbed her phone from her civilian purse and dialled the number quickly. If what Lar Gand had said was true, she was in eminent danger. No reply. She anxiously began to pace again, straining her ears to pick up Lena's unique heartbeat.

  
Thankfully, Kara detected a particular flutter she knew belonged to the CEO. Taking one last look at Eliza's frail body in the hospital bed, Kara made her way to her safe place.

\--

Lena's penthouse apartment was modest, cosy, and most importantly undetectable. Lex had bought it for her as an 18th birthday present, and he had made some upgrades to the security system. Among other things, the internet was connected to its own private server, a panic button was installed so that the windows and doors would lock instantly, and there was a fully-stocked wine cupboard. Just the essentials.

  
No one, not even Lillian or Lionel knew where the apartment was, so it became the sibling's safe haven when they needed time away from the family. Lena had told Kara about the apartment because, well, otherwise she would think the CEO just slept at work. And because she trusted Kara. A little too much, as Lex would say.

So when there was a knock on the door, Lena knew immediately who it was, not that she was expecting nor wanting company.

Nevertheless, she put her robe over her nightdress and swung open the door.

"Kara." She said, her voice emotionless, crossing her arms.

The reporter fiddled with her hands, "I'm sorry for leaving so soon earlier."

Lena remained silent, her eyebrow raising defiantly.

"And," Kara sighed, readjusting her glasses. The nervous tick brought a small smile to the edge of Lena's lips, "I was hoping to make it up to you."

"What are you suggesting?" Lena tried to keep the implication and excitement out of her voice but she failed.

Kara looked down the busy hallway and then back at her friend, "C...Can I come in?"

Lena grabbed the older girl's arm, pulling her in. She slammed the alien against the wall, her arm coming up to press against Kara's throat. Their breaths mingled, Kara searching in confusion for a reason, a motive for what was happening. Her eyes flicked down to Lena's plump pink lips and she observed the lack of makeup. It made the CEO's eyes more prominent, it was like watching the night sky when Lena's pupils grew wider. The day making way for the night. A mixture of emotions sprinted across Lena's face – fear, confusion, and something that could only be interpreted as excitement.

"What are you doing, Lena?" She sounded breathless.

Lena put her finger to her lips, hushing the older girl. Kara concentrated her hearing on outside - ignoring the quick flutter of Lena's beat – the slow but sure patter of boots. Combat boots. Lar Gand must have followed her there. Oh Rao, by wanting to protect Lena she'd put her in more danger.

"Lena, I can explain," Kara's voice was barely a whisper.

Lena glanced down at her lips, reading the words spoken by her friend. She rolled her eyes dismissingly. The guy was probably a neighbour deciding to finally introduce himself, or one of Lex's goons sent to murder her in her sleep, that certainly wasn't Kara's fault.

The footsteps stopped outside the door and Kara shielded the other girl with her body. The knock at the door was harsh. Kara checked behind her to make sure her friend was okay but she wasn't there. Kara quickly used her x-ray vision to check the rest of the apartment but the damn walls were made of lead. She contemplated calling out for Lena, but that would alert whoever was at the door of their presence.

Instead, she stayed silent until the door was kicked in. A man, around two heads taller than Kara, built like a rock but with the attire he looked like a common criminal. He unholstered his gun and Kara reacted in the only way she knew how.

  
Grabbing his extended hand, she swatted the gun away and it fell to the ground. The thug balked in awe but put his arms up, ready to fight. Kara copied his movements, angry that yet another civilian unwittingly found out her identity.

“I don’t want to hurt you!” Kara shouted, sounding exactly like Supergirl, “Surrender now and I’ll forget this ever happened.”

The man didn’t respond. He cracked his knuckles and charged at the hero. Kara sidestepped him, bring her elbow down on his back, making him splay on the floor.

“Stop!” Kara tried again.

He ran at her, fist catching the side of her face. The man recoiled from shock as she brushed it off. How dare this man break into Lena’s home? How dare he try to kill her?  
Kara punched his nose, hard. She didn’t realise just how hard until he knelt on the floor, the seemingly continuous blood flowing out of his nose and mouth.

A shot rang out in the apartment and the man’s shoulder erupted in blood. Kara glanced behind her to see Lena, her gun aimed at the intruder, shaking with fear. She turned the gun to face Kara.

“Lena...” Kara breathed, “What are you doing?”

“How did you do that to his nose? You’re her, aren’t you?” Lena’s voice wavered.

Thank Rao, Kara thought. She’d been looking for the opportunity to tell Lena who she was.

Kara’s eyes flicked down to the lowering gun, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Lena was shaking as she dropped the weapon on the floor, “So... All those times you had to bail on me and cut our dinners short... that wasn’t because you didn’t like me but because you were out there saving people?”

Kara sighed in relief, “Yes.” She grinned childishly, “I’m glad you don’t hate me.”

Lena collapsed on the sofa, bringing her hand up to massage her temples, connecting the dots together.

“But, I should tell you, my latest enemy, a man named Lar Gand is coming after us. He used to be Mike.” Kara focused her hearing on the Luthor, clocking the sharp rise.

“Gand I know that name.” Lena reached for her phone before continuing, “I have a meeting with an investor by the name of Gand who wants to buy shares and the miniaturisation technology.”

“You can’t go along with that meeting Lena, it’s too dangerous.” Kara approached her friend.

Lena’s eyebrow twitched up, “Says the girl who risks everything on a day to day basis.”

Kara smiled, thankful that nothing in their relationship had changed. She looked back at the unconscious man and then back to Lena.

“I have to get him some help. Don’t go anywhere.” Kara ripped open her shirt to reveal her family crest.

Lena’s sudden intake of breath did not go unnoticed but Kara brushed it off to shock.

Kara left through off the roof, allowing Lena to be alone with her thoughts. Yes, Kara had been lying to her for months but that was understandable; she didn’t trust her enough. But now that she knew, it all made sense. Being in love with Supergirl wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, either. She saved people daily, being in love with the hero was a privilege. And Lena would not screw her chance up.

Kara returned a few moments later and put on her civilian clothes again.

“Do you not want to sleep? I can stay up and make sure you’re safe.”

Lena put her feet under herself on her sofa, “No, I think we need to talk.”

“Oh.” Kara wrung her hands, deciding not to put her glasses on anymore. She sat down next to her friend.

“I just have a few questions.” Lena started, “Are you only friends with me because I’m a Luthor and you know I’m going to be evil?”

“No.” Kara said with certainty in her voice as she reached out to play with Lena’s robe, “I enjoyed your company. And it was nice to have a friend outside of work.”

“Who do you work for?” Lena asked cheekily, knowing she probably wasn’t allowed to know.

“An organisation that doesn’t really exist.” Kara answered.

There was a pause, “Do you remember your planet?”

Kara’s mouth opened but no sound came out. Was she ready to tell Lena about her planet? She trusted Lena, more than she would care to admit, but some things she hadn’t even told Alex yet.

“I...” Kara started, her eyebrows creasing, “Krypton was perfect. My mom and dad loved me so much, and I them. When I was thirteen, I was sent to Earth to protect Superman, my cousin.”

“It must have been hard to leave your planet.”

Lena observed the crinkle and reached out to massage it away. Kara leaned into the touch, resting her back on Lena’s shoulder.

“I didn’t have a choice. My mother locked me in the pod before I understood what was happening.” Kara whispered her words, thankful for Lena’s nimble touch.

“At least you found a loving family to take you in.” Lena commented quietly.

“Yeah.” She agreed, turning her head to rest it on Lena’s chest, “I can stay if you want?”

“Please?” Lena’s eyes went glassy, she felt vulnerable.

Kara smiled softly before she extracted herself from her friend, “Get some sleep.”

Lena smiled back. She stood up and kissed Kara’s cheek delicately. Lena knew she couldn’t keep the contact long but Kara wasn’t pulling away. Eventually, though, she moved away to go to sleep. Kara stayed in the hallway outside her room, wondering why Lena’s touch still lingered on her cheek, thinking about the weird churning in her stomach. It wasn’t butterflies... or at least she didn’t think it was butterflies. Oh Rao, she was attracted to Lena Luthor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hella short, sorry guys


	4. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ReigncorpForLife Really is a great writer isn't she?
> 
> Jk I take it back

Kara leant on the doorframe to the bedroom, feeling like an intruder when her friend squirmed in her sleep. Lena’s hair was splayed on the pillow like a crown, she looked peaceful. Kara didn’t think she’d seen someone so beautiful. Approaching tentatively, Kara slid onto the bed next to her friend; she reached a hand out to move a stray hair out of the sleeping woman’s face. The moment was pure, and she didn't want to forget. Lena frowned and Kara chastised herself for waking her up. The CEO coerced her eyes open to see sapphire orbs looking back at her.

“You’re staring,” Lena commented, her voice thick from sleep. The alien wanted to commit the sound to memory.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Kara whispered, smiling softly.

Still in a sleep-induced haze, Lena placed her hand on the other girl’s cheek, “You’re so beautiful.”

Kara let the chuckle escape her mouth, “I made breakfast.”

“So kind.” Lena replied, sitting up to put on her robe.

“Did you sleep okay?” Supergirl asked, holding the door open for her friend.

“Amazing, actually. You should be my bodyguard every ni—” Lena’s witty remark was cut short when she saw the spread on her breakfast table.

“I hope you like it,” Kara said, taking the chair out for Lena to sit on, “I, uh, had some spare time in the morning and thought you’d appreciate the food.”

“Kar...” Lena stared at the foods – pancakes, bacon, eggs, even fresh bread. It reminded her of her mother, or what little memory she had of her. Lena could do nothing but engulf the older girl in her arms, “Thank you.”

Kara rubbed her back softly, revelling in the warmth she felt, “Eat up before it gets cold.”

They ate in silence, enjoying each other’s company. Kara read the newspaper while Lena replied to her emails. The whole thing felt so domestic that Kara automatically started doing the dishes, and Lena didn’t think to stop her. Lena showered quickly while Kara cleaned away the mess. When she came out, everything was cleared away.

“You tidied up fast,” Lena commented, towel-drying her hair. It dropped down into natural curls, cascading over her shoulders.

“Perks of being an alien,” Kara grinned, but it dropped just as suddenly, “My boss wants to interview the intruder from last night. Will you be okay on your own for a bit?”

Lena nodded towards her gun, “I’ll manage.”

“Okay. Love you.” Kara kissed her cheek and flew out the window before she could realise her actions.

Lena remained in the front room, dumbstruck. Her eyes widened as she replayed the moment in her head.

 _Love you._ The words were flippant, they were thrown at the unsuspecting Luthor.

 _Love you._ Two small words that carried so much meaning behind them, so much value.

 _Love you._ She was reading into it. But who wouldn’t? When her best friend said those words it felt like a weight had been lifted, liberating yet grounding.

She was in love with Supergirl. And her self-restraint was disappearing rapidly – she needed to tell Kara how she felt. Not through stolen glances, or gentle hugs, but through her words. If her words weren’t enough, then actions. Kara had to know how much she meant to her.

Lena’s phone vibrated, signalling a text from Jess. She ran to put suitable clothes on, placing her gun on her back, held in place by her tight skirt. She put on a blazer to cover the weapon and got to work, hoping she wasn't making a mistake by going outside. Fear was an important tool in war, but she refused to be afraid of Gand.

 

\--

 

Supergirl landed in the DEO, her fear taking over as she remembered how the perp had tried to kill Lena, _her_ Lena. The looks she was getting from the other agents said she looked furious. Even Vasquez came up to her with a concerned look in her eye.

"Supergirl, what's happening?" Vasquez asked, glaring at the agents who were staring.

Kara reached the tech area and saw Winn, "Where's the guy who broke into Lena's apartment?"

Winn shot her an amused glance, "Promise not to go Rambo on him?"

"He broke into her house, Winn." Kara's barely-concealed anger didn't go unnoticed by the pair, "Which room is he in?"

Winn looked at her a second longer before turning his attention to the computer in front of him, "Interrogation Room 3. J'onn is with him now."

Supergirl was there in a flash, she approached the door and took a deep breath to compose herself. Yes, she was angry, but she wouldn’t hurt the man. Threaten, maybe, but she couldn’t descend into the darkness; her mother didn’t raise her that way.

She opened the door and took in his sight – the bullet wound in his shoulder had been patched up but his shirt still had blood blotched around it. His nose was broken, still bloody from her punch the day before. He sat opposite J'onn, his arm cradling his ribs.

"Supergirl, you can't be in here." J'onn commanded, but then he noticed how calm she was.

"Please, continue, I just wanted to listen in." Kara leaned her back on the wall, "Carry on."

J'onn rolled his eyes subtly but resumed his questioning, "How did you know where Miss Luthor was?"

"I was told by a man last night." The voice was gravelly, and it sent chills down the Girl of Steel's back. He was shady, but he didn't seem smart enough to plan out the attack, "He told me to follow Kara Danvers." He looked at Supergirl as it dawned on her. _She_ was the reason Lena's apartment had become compromised.

"What man?" J'onn's glance reassured her that they would sort it out.

"He didn't give me a name, but his chest had something glowing inside it."

Kara pushed herself off the wall, placing her hands on the desk. She had dented it from the force but she couldn't bring herself to care, "What colour?"

"Green."

Supergirl's eyes closed, her heart racing from anger and fear. Lar Gand knew where they were.

 

\--

 

Lena's posture straightened when the businessman came in. She shuffled on her chair, making sure her gun was still where she put it. From the one picture Kara had shown her of Mike, Lena immediately knew who the man was. Gand, the one who was trying to destroy Kara.

Her face remained stoic, the mask falling in place when he sat opposite her.

"Miss Luthor, nice to finally meet you." Gand's brittle voice was harsh, there was no warmth to it, "I believe we have a lot to discuss."

"Regarding what exactly?" She hated how quiet her voice was.

Gand smirked, "L-Corp, naturally. I wish to buy your miniaturisation tech."

Lena let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. He was playing the long game, torturing them slowly, which meant he wouldn’t kill her today.

"Well, Wayne Enterprises offered $4 million for it last month and I declined. What makes you think I would sell it to you?" She raised her eyebrow, challenging him to change his plan. If he changed his plan, he would have to rethink everything and that would buy Kara time to bring him down.

"Careful, Lena." Gand supressed his anger but she heard it, "I want to offer $10 million."

"What do you need the tech for?"

"Since when have people’s motives ever stopped your family?" Gand clapped back.

"Since I'm not like my brother and I refuse to have it used for bad." Lena replied, narrowing her eyes, continuing, "Who do you work for again?"

"Oh, I work for myself." Gand eyed her, "I need the technology for an experiment."

"I'm sure." She said suspiciously before hearing her phone vibrate next to her. It was Kara.

Gand saw her regretful look, "What is it?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." She really hated this man, "Something's come up, I'm afraid I need to postpone our deal. Leave your information with my secretary and she'll contact you when I have time."

She stood up, Gand mirroring her movements. Smoothing down her skirt, Lena could feel the bulge of the weapon on her back. He left without a second glance, and she doubted he'd left a way to contact him. If he was smart, he would stay away from her building.

"Kara?" Lena called her back, hearing deep breaths on the other end of the line, "Where are you?"

There was a pause and then Lena heard a crashing sound, as if Kara had punched a wall, "...I'm coming to you, one minute."

Lena opened the door to her balcony, battling the winds to let Kara into her office.

"What's got you so angry?" Lena frowned, trying to understand the situation.

"Lar Gand knows where you live. I lead him there without realising. You aren't safe there." Supergirl frowned, pacing the floors of the office.

"I'm not safe at work either, Gand was just here.” Lena massaged her temples, sitting down on her sofa.

Kara followed her, moving her cape to sit next to her friend, “I asked my boss but he doesn’t want you near the DEO, Gand had been there before, so it’s compromised. We've had to move all our assets to our old base."

She smiled weakly, resting her head on Kara's shoulder, "It's fine, I can stay at my house. The one he doesn't know about." Lena suggested but the idea wasn't strong, he could easily follow the trail of money and find the house.

Supergirl put her arm around Lena's shoulder. It was tempting to kiss the CEO's forehead, it felt right. But now was not the time for her attraction to get in the way.

Suddenly, Kara's eyes lit up with an idea, "You can stay with me."

Lena's head flew up so fast she could have got whiplash, "What? But doesn’t he know where you live?"

"Yes, but he wouldn't expect you to be there. And I can protect you if it goes wrong." Kara reasoned, her eyes shining with excitement, "The apartment has multiple escape routes, a crazy amount of food, and you can have my bed, I'll sleep on the sofa."

"I--" Lena didn't know how to respond; it was logical, yes, but she couldn't help feeling there were undertones to Kara's offer. They would essentially be living together for God knows how long, and Lena didn't think she would be able to conceal her feelings any more. It was a terrible plan, "Okay."

“It’ll be like a sleepover!” Kara continued, “And I’ll even take you on to the roof.”

“I’ve never been on a sleepover before.” Lena’s eyes went hollow, realising her ruined childhood, “Lillian never let me.”

“I will be your first.” Kara blushed a deep shade of red when she realised her words, “I, uh,” She chuckled, “you know what I mean.”

“Not quite, Miss Danvers, what _do_ you mean?” Lena tried to cover her smirk.

"Ha uh, well, you know." Kara spluttered, "You, and I, we're friends, and that's what friends do."

"Friends." She repeated, the taste it left in her mouth was bitter, like beer, apart from she wasn't drunk. She was sober. And she was completely aware of her actions, "Is that what we are?"

Kara frowned, the crinkle appearing between her eyebrows, "What else would we be?"

 _Lovers, partners, equals,_ Lena thought.

"I don't know." The CEO replied, waving her previous thoughts away with a flick of her hand, "I just thought... Never mind." She shuffled away from her friend on the sofa, putting some distance between them.

"Lena..." The alien looked at her strangely, almost thankfully, before she rested her hand on the sofa between them, palm up, offering it to her friend, "What's on your mind?"

She laughed to herself at how stupid she sounded. She took the offered hand, staring at them as Kara squeezed softly and she noticed how they fit perfectly against each other, "It's you.” _I love you._ The words were on the tip of her tongue but they wouldn’t come out. She gulped the words down, back into her heart where she knew they would be safe.

"Me?" Kara whispered.

"I can't lose you, Kara." _Because I love you._ Lena sighed, feeling a tear roll down her cheek, "I... Promise me you won't get yourself killed."

"It's out of my control, you know that." Lena had to understand that Gand was the threat, that she didn't have a choice if she died or not. But Kara wouldn't just sit around and wait for Gand to kill everyone she loved. Loved? Did she love Lena?

Lena's voice broke with a sob, "Please... just promise me you won't leave me?"

Kara saw the flash of emotions on her face and she circled her thumb on Lena's hand, "I won't let him hurt you, Lena." She took a deep breath, "I promise I will _never_ leave you." She reached her hand up to move a stray piece of hair out of Lena's face, cradling it gently.

Lena's eyes flicked down to her lips. They were inviting, pulling her in like a magnet. She closed her eyes, laughing silently at how poetic she was feeling. Kara brought out the romantic side of her. Kara didn't back away or put any distance between them, she just held her breath; it was almost like she wanted it too.

Kara's phone buzzed in her pocket, and she broke the eye-contact, "Alex?"

Lena got up to get herself a drink, putting space between them. She needed to control herself, damn it. She heard Kara hang up, and approach behind her.

"Alex needs me. Maggie found the car that kidnapped Mon-El." Kara said, smoothing out her uniform, "I can drop you off at my apartment and Maggie can guard you if you want?"

"Thanks, Kara. Really." Lena smiled weakly.

They walked out on to the balcony. Supergirl put her arm around Lena’s waist, lifting her up. The younger girl’s eyes widened at her strength but adjusted herself in her crush’s arms, clutching onto her shoulders.

"Ready?" Kara smirked mischievously, taking off into the sky.

Lena tensed, feeling the rush of the wind as they flew past her. She shook free her knotted hair, appreciating the freedom however sick she felt. She clutched her stomach, feeling her breakfast come up slowly but surely.

"Lena? Are you okay?" Kara panicked, "Hang on for two more minutes, we're almost there."

They landed in her apartment through the open window and Lena ran to the bathroom.

Kara grimaced when her friend reappeared, handing her a glass of water, "Sorry."

"I should have mentioned this earlier, but I hate flying." Lena drank the water.

There was a knock at the door and Kara activated her x-ray vision to see Maggie on the other side.

"Kara," Maggie greeted her with a hug, "Alex promised me dinner for this, by the way."

"Thanks again, Maggie." Kara said, hurrying her into the apartment and checking the empty corridor, "You know Lena Luthor, right?"

"Yeah, I've heard of her. How you holding up, Miss Luthor?" Maggie asked, dumping her bag next the Kara's sofa.

"Better, I think. But, please, just call me Lena." She shook the detective’s hand, glancing at Kara, “Go save us, Kara.”

She smiled back, squeezing Lena’s shoulder reassuringly, “I’ll try.”

She leapt off the floor, Lena watching her disappear into the skies in a blur. Logically, the CEO knew Supergirl would be careful, but there was a niggling doubt in the back of her mind, wondering if she still cared about Mon-El _like that_ , resulting in her not being able to do what was necessary.

Something clicked in Lena’s mind, “The suit’s made of Kryptonite, correct?” She asked the detective.

“I think so.” The detective sat up straighter, “What are you thinking?”

Lena grinned, “I can reverse the effects of the Kryptonite.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh but can she??? Find out next week lmao
> 
> Also, Y50 is a jerkface isn't she?  
> Not a joke, I don't take it back :P


	5. Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Get To Love You - Ruelle is a great song when it gets to cute stuffs :D

Kara met her sister at the location; Alex was dressed in her combat gear, armed with her standard DEO-issue firepower. Kara spotted the van Mon-El had been kidnapped in, idling outside the warehouse. Alex nodded her head in a silent greeting, and signalled the rest of the team to wait outside.

“If the opportunity arises, you need to be ready to take him out.” Alex whispered, knowing Kara could hear her.

“I’ll do what needs to be done.” Kara said running at the doors.

The warehouse was quiet, eerily so. Alex signalled that she was going in further and Supergirl used her x-ray vision to check the area but it wasn’t working. Her senses were numbing. Kryptonite.

  
She collapsed on the floor, covering her ears, trying to regain her balance. Her chest felt like it was closing in on her, but it didn’t feel as strong this time. The Kryptonite was getting weaker.

“Kara!” The voice shouted.

She recognised it immediately and turned to the sound, noticing the rest of the DEO team unconscious on the floor. Alex was being held in a headlock against Gand, but she still had a lot of fight left in her. Alex reached up, punching Gand’s nose. She gasped, hearing her own bones crunching against his skin. Gand yanked her hair back, scoffing as Alex stubbornly kicked against him to no prevail. He picked her off the ground, smiling condescendingly.

Gand didn’t take his eyes off Alex’s face as he spoke, “Stop trying to fight me, Kara. You won’t win.”

“Yes you can, Kar!” Alex managed before he put a hand over her throat, stopping the air flow. Alex gasped in desperation, clamping her eyes shut.

“I was going to wait to kill your sister,” Gand tightened his grip on her neck, but Kara stood helplessly, “...but I guess I can get it over with now.”

“No!” Kara’s voice boomed with authority, “You aren’t going to kill her. Or Lena. Or anyone else I love.” She swallowed thickly at the admission, “What have I done to deserve this, Mon-El?”

“Don’t act innocent, Kara Zor-El. You are no saint. “ He growled, “I know you felt for Lena when we were together. And for that, you will pay, along with _everyone_ you love.”

Gand touched his hand to his chest plate and it illuminated, dispersing a cloud of verdant around them. Kara coughed, falling to the floor in a heap.

“St...stop.” She spluttered, helplessly watching as Gand threw Alex at the nearest wall. Alex splayed, groaning, but she wasn’t unconscious just yet.

Gand scoffed, “Kryptonians are so pathetic. You should be ashamed of yourself, Kara Zor-El.”

He kicked Kara’s ribs, hearing a satisfying cracking in return. The sneer on his face was poison as he kicked her in the same place. Again. And again. But Kara took it; she needed to if Alex was going to get enough time to recover.

A shot rang out in the warehouse, landing with a _clank_ on Gand’s suit. He turned to face the older Danvers sister, growling at her with almost animalistic fury. Kara’s blurred vision caught on a speck of green next to her. Gand glanced down at her, noticing the fleck it too. He looked to his chest plate, noticing a dent where the bullet had hit. His suit...it was falling apart.

“To be continued, Supergirl.” Lar Gand looked shaken, but he flew out of there before Kara could sit up.

Alex brushed Kara’s hands away when she went to check on her.

“He took out our whole team.” Alex dusted herself off the floor, holding her hand to her bloody head. She’d got the wound when she hit the wall.

“Get that checked out,” Kara commanded but Alex just stared ahead in awe. She followed her gaze.

Further in the warehouse was what looked like an operating table, with silver instruments arranged next to it. Alex approached them tentatively, Kara following slowly behind. She could feel the Kryptonite in the atmosphere. This was where Lar Gand had been created. Where Mon-El had been changed.

Supergirl spotted a large crate next to the table and hauled it on to the table, breathing heavily, trying to ignore the pain in her stomach from the kicks.

“They’re from the DEO.” Alex said, seeing the serial number, “It should have been at the base last week.”

“Can we find out who was meant to transport it?”

“Yeah, of course.” Alex swayed, disorientated, “I’m going to the DEO to get checked over and then I will get on it. Are you coming?”

“Uh, no.” Supergirl checked her body for permanent wounds, “I’m gonna check up on Lena.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, there was a sliver of teasing in the raised eyebrow but she didn’t say anything. Kara would tell her when she was ready.

“Can I have my Maggie back now?” Alex pouted, her eyes shining with humour.

She laughed painfully, “Sure. I will send her back your way.” Kara picked the box up, helping Alex to put it in the trunk. She was aware of her bruised torso, but Lena was probably scared out of her mind. She needed to see her.

 

_______ 

 

Kara limped into her apartment, feeling her insides churning with the unfamiliar feeling of pain. She was okay, it would be fine. She just needed to sit in the sun for a while. She groaned as she leant on the doorframe, Maggie running up to her. The detective scanned over Supergirl's body.

"She's _just_ got her head down." Maggie whispered, glancing behind her at Lena, who had fallen asleep on the sofa, surrounded by a bunch of papers, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Kara brushed her off, wiping at the hair stuck to her forehead, "Alex wants her fiancée back, though."

"You sure you’re okay? Maybe you should get yourself checked out?" Maggie persisted, noticing Kara favoring her left side.

Kara rolled her eyes affectionately, "I'm sure, I just need to rest. Now go, get outta here." Supergirl pulled her in for a hug, which Maggie reciprocated.

The door clicked shut and Kara listened to Lena's calming heartbeat as she neared her sleeping figure, holding her stomach to reduce the pain. Lena lay on the sofa, her feet tucked under herself, face buried in a cushion. She looked peaceful; Kara couldn't remember a time when Lena looked so calm. Supergirl sidestepped the papers as she got closer to her sleeping figure.

Lena's raven hair cascaded in loose ringlets across the cushion and Kara wanted to reach out, make sure she was real. An angel – that's what Lena reminded her of. She needed to tell Lena how she felt; no matter how confusing these feelings were, they were still there and Kara couldn't ignore them anymore.

She reached out a hand to tuck a lock of hair behind Lena's ear. Oh Rao, Kara felt so empowered in her presence. It made her want to help everyone, solve every crisis, spread her love across the whole of the multiverse. She picked up a blanket, laying it softly over the CEO's sleeping figure. Kara gasped in pain as she bent over to lay it on her friend, the noise causing Lena to stir.

"Kar..." She breathed, her voice low, husky, addictive, "I tried waiting up for you."

Supergirl glanced at the clock; it was well past midnight and she felt guilty for making Lena wait so long.

"I'm sorry." Kara apologised, threading her hands through Lena's knotted hair. Suddenly, another blast of pain shot through her body. Kara folded in on herself, her stomach clenching, the throb making her feel sick.

Lena shot up, feeling her friend breathing heavily, the hurt evident on her face, "What's wrong?"

"Mo— Gand kicked me in the ribs a few times, I'm fine." Kara clenched her jaw, closing her eyes to wait for the wave to subside.

Lena tutted, "You aren't fine." She got up and busied herself in the kitchen, coming back with a roll of Clingfilm, directing Kara to sit on the sofa, "I'm not quite sure how this works, but you need some support to make sure you heal properly."

Lena slowly extracted the Supergirl suit off her friend, folding it next to them, leaving Kara in a sports bra and boxers. She forced her eyes to stay open as she worked, the tiredness still present. Lena tried not to allow her gaze to roam over Supergirl's pale skin; blotches of angry purple bruises were littered across her abs and Lena cringed internally.

Kara hissed in pain at the initial contact with Lena's cold fingers, and she whimpered as she allowed Lena to wrap a thin layer of film around her torso, her skin slick with a cold sweat.

"I figured out a way to reverse the effects of his suit." Lena mumbled as she worked.

She tried to reach for the papers but Lena's palm on her stomach held her down, "How?"

"Doesn't matter if you get yourself killed before I can perfect it." The CEO snarked, no hint of teasing in her voice. Kara sighed in response.

She worked quickly, efficiently, never letting her mind stray, even when she could see Kara's sharp muscles tense when she touched her.

"What were you doing, Kara?" Lena's voice was small, scared, "How did you get so hurt?"

Kara's reply was breathy, she couldn't stop watching Lena work. It was mesmerising, "The Kryptonite weakened me enough to allow him to kick me. It's not a big deal, Lena."

"It is a big deal, Kar!" Lena snapped, pausing, "You could have died."

Supergirl frowned, confused at this sudden outburst, "If I don't stop him, he's going to kill everyone I love. He's going to kill _you_ , Lena."

Their eyes met at the admission, Lena too stunned to speak. Her mouth opened to respond but she couldn’t form the words.

“You...” The CEO’s eyes widened with realisation, “You love me?”

Kara clamped her eyes shut, ignoring the weightless feeling in her chest, “I’m sorry.” She muttered, watching as Lena bit her lip, finishing up.

“Don’t apologise,” Lena stated, her voice soft, reassuring. She pushed herself off the ground and joined Kara on the sofa, “How long?”

Kara shrugged, refusing to meet Lena’s gaze, “Before you said I should be a reporter and after Clark and I first interviewed you. I don’t think I understood what love really was until you came along. You were different. And I would really love for you not to hate me.”

Lena smiled fondly, extending a hand between them, resting it on the papers, “I could never hate you.”

Kara looked shocked for a moment but then she broke out the broadest grin, her dimples denting her face, “You’re okay with me being in love with you?” She took her hand gratefully.

Lena let out a brief chuckle, “Of course.” _Because I’m in love with you too._ Again, the words were on the tip of her tongue, but they refused to be free. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t say the words. Not yet. Not until they put this crisis behind them and Kara was in a better emotional state. Only then would she say those words back.

Kara shook her head at the strange turn of events. She opened up her arms for Lena to shuffle into and she held her close, not wanting the moment to end. Lena relaxed her back onto Kara's bare front, feeling the chill of the night hit her. Kara held her tighter, wanting to replace every feeling of fear and sadness in Lena with love. Pure, unreserved love.

Lena shuffled into the space between her legs, and Supergirl shivered, moving to lay the blanket over them both, conscious of her bruises. She heard as Lena's breathing slowed into a magical symphony, and Kara kissed her forehead fondly.

"I love you, Lena."

She heard a murmur in response and she smiled. This was what home felt like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone finds any mistakes, it's all Y50's fault, she's meant to be proofreading...(Ily really buddy)
> 
> Mini break now until Wednesday 10th cos life, sorryyy
> 
> look at these to gaydies lovin eachother


	6. Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a thank you for sticking wih us through the mini hiatus, here's a bit of cuteness

Kara woke to the smell of strawberries. A goofy grin overtook her features as she remembered where she was – holding the love of her life, who slept peacefully in her arms. She hazily opened her eyes a crack, making sure it wasn't a dream. As Lena's slow breaths flooded her senses, Supergirl realised her enhanced hearing was back. She tried to shift to check if her wounds had healed yet but Lena stirred awake in her arms.

Lena turned her head, placing a soft kiss on the inside of Kara's bicep, "G'morning, Supergirl."

"Hey," She whispered, basking in Lena's warmth.

Lena slowly extracted herself from Kara's body, letting her hands brush up the Clingfilm on the older girl's abdomen. Kara arched into the touch, watching as Lena's face changed from concern to amazement.

"You’ve healed," Lena let out a laugh of disbelief, taking off the Clingfilm, “That’s incredible."

Kara blushed, "It's nothing."

Lena grinned, mirth dancing in her eyes. She ran her thumb along Kara's stomach, tracing the line of an ab daintily, the touch was barely there. But Kara felt it, Rao did she feel it. Supergirl clamped her eyes shut, letting her senses become overloaded with the simple touch.

"Kara."

The alien could feel the weight of the sofa change and then Lena's breath on her cheeks.

"Kara, look at me." Lena commanded, her voice strong yet quiet.

Kara opened her eyes – green. Lena’s eyes were green, with flecks of gold and blue. Kara hadn’t noticed the gold, but she’d never been at such short proximity before.

Kara sighed as Lena’s hands tangled in her hair. She felt her breath on her lips and she moistened them in anticipation.

“May I?” Lena asked, searching her love’s eyes for any hesitation.

Supergirl didn’t respond, tilting Lena’s face upwards, closing the distance between them, hearing a low, sultry chuckle. Lena tasted better than she could ever have imagined, and she relished the way their lips moulded together, moving against each other without urgency. Kara tuned her hearing onto Lena’s fluttering heartbeat and picked up their rhythm accordingly, nibbling the CEO’s lower lip. Lena’s wanton groan was swallowed up by Supergirl’s scarlet lips. They pulled away, Lena’s dopey smile widening as she refused to open her eyes.

Kara kissed her nose, making Lena glare at her through those long lashes. She rested her chin on the alien’s muscular stomach and grinned, her cheeks denting with her dimples.

“What just happened?” Lena asked breathlessly, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she tenderly stroked the skin above Kara’s exposed hip.

Supergirl smiled, biting her lip, “You just kissed me. And I kissed back.”

Lena’s eyes closed and she inhaled deeply, “I want this,” She motioned between them, “Trust me, I do. But I need to know... are you still in love with Mon-El?”

Kara pursed her lips in thought, "I don't think I ever loved him. Maybe it was attraction at first, and then when he said he felt something more I thought I needed to feel the same."

"But you didn't?" Lena asked, her hand coming up to trace Supergirl's ab.

She shook her head, her voice small, "No." She shivered, feeling vulnerable under Lena's intense gaze, "Speaking of Mon-El, you said last night that you could make the suit defunct."

"I said I could reverse the effects," The CEO corrected, "I can make you stronger."

Kara's eyebrows shot up, "How?"

Lena grinned, an excited spark running through her body as she grabbed the nearest pile of paper and started explaining the technology behind the creation she was planning.

"I asked Lord Tech for help with the manufacturing side, and Maxwell agreed." Lena explained.

"Maxwell Lord cannot be trusted, Lena. Last year, he created an evil clone of me. It was horrible."

"What would you suggest?” She asked.

“Winn and Alex are clever - Winn can hack nearly anything and is amazing with technology, and Alex is a bioengineer and great with a gun.”

“Deal.” Lena replied, placing a tender kiss on Kara's cheek before running to the bedroom.

Kara let the silent chuckle escape her. She bit her lip, thinking about how much stronger she would be if Lena could make her invention work. She would be able to stop Lar Gand from killing everyone. Lena returned to the living room and threw a sweatshirt at the still topless hero. Kara pouted and threw the clothing to the other side of the room.

“As much as I enjoy the view, Winn is on his way.” Lena stated, brewing some coffee for them both, wiping at her tired eyes.

Kara came up behind her, circling the CEO’s waist, kissing her exposed shoulder. Lena leaned back into the warmth.

“I need to call James and make sure he knows I’m not going into CatCo for the rest of the week. And then we will be interrogating the guy who was supposed to get the shipment of Kryptonite to the desert base.”

“Be careful.” Lena twisted around, resting her arms on Kara’s shoulders.

“Aren’t I always?”

Lena narrowed her eyes, “The broken ribs yesterday say otherwise.”

Kara grinned with childlike innocence before using her super-speed to put her suit on

_____

The desert base was familiar, Supergirl coming to land on the sand outside. She was met by a very tired looking General Lucy Lane, who ran up to hug her.

"Hey, Luce!" Kara beamed, "How's things with James?"

Lucy pulled back, shuffling her through the metallic doors of the base, "Good. He's opening up to me a bit more. How are you doing with the whole 'Mon-El' situation?"

Kara let out a puff of air, "Decent, I think. I just need to remember he's been changed. It's not him."

Lucy gave her a weak smile and squeezed her arm, comfortingly, "The whole of the DEO is here for you, if you need us."

"Thanks." She sighed, placing her hands on her hips in a determined stance, "Where’s Alex?"

"She, Maggie and Winn have left to work on the weapons at L-Corp." Lucy explained, "Alex managed to find the guy who was supposed to be transporting the Kryptonite – Agent Brandt." She handed Supergirl his file, "He's been working with the DEO for years, nothing stood out. Until last month when a sizeable deposit was made into his personal bank account."

“Have you tracked the account?”

“Yeah, belongs to a shell corporation. We don’t know who it’s owned by.” Lucy led her to the interrogation room, “We were hoping you could intimidate him and get him to talk.”

"I can try."

Supergirl burst through the door to the interrogation room, finding a sweating man squirming in his seat, "Agent Brandt, is it?"

"I'm not afraid of you," His voice wavered, betraying his statement. His DEO-issued top clung to his skin from the nervous sweat.

"You should be." Supergirl circled him, Lucy watching from the back of the room. She approached him from behind, grabbing him by the shoulders and squeezing, not too hard but not particularly softly either, "Who did you get the money from, Agent?"

"I'm not telling you anything." He clenched his jaw, his fists balling up in the handcuffs under the table.

"We'll see about that, Agent Brandt." She forcefully grabbed his hair, yanking back so that his throat was exposed. She wouldn't hurt him, but it needed to be convincing. She brought her face down, inches from his ear and whispered calmly, "Who gave you the money?"

His lip trembled as he whimpered, "Luthor."

Lucy's eyebrows shot up, "Lena?"

"You're lying." Supergirl roared at the statement.

"No. Lillian Luthor."

Kara let him go and he breathed a sigh of relief. Kara threaded her hands through her hair, trying to make sense of the situation.

"What did she want with the Kryptonite?" Lucy asked, noticing Kara's unstable state.

The agent shrugged away from Supergirl, "She didn't say."

"And you thought it was a good idea?" Kara asked, turning him around in the chair, "She's a tyrant. A belligerent. And you thought she wouldn't create something evil?"

The man recoiled, "She said something about upgrading a man, I think."

"She created Lar Gand." Supergirl put the pieces together, addressing Lucy, "She made him the monster he is."

Lucy helped an angry Kara out of the room, shutting the door behind them. She crossed her arms, leaning her back on the door, "I think he was a monster before she gave him a suit."

Kara agreed with a silent nod of her head.

Lucy reached up to comfortingly place her hand on Kara's shoulder, "We'll find Lillian Luthor and get Lar Gand."

"Hopefully."

"No, we will." Lucy smiled, offering a smile, "And when we do, you can decide what to do with them."

"Thanks, Luce." Supergirl wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, "Game night when all this is over."

"You bet." Lucy pulled back, clasping her hands behind herself, "So...what's going on with you and Lena Luthor?"

Kara grinned, biting her lip before telling her friend everything.

_____ 

 

Maggie twirled her gun around her finger in the L-Corp labs while Lena, Winn, and Alex busied themselves doing God knew what.

Lena tossed Winn a spherical container which looked kind of important, but again, it went over Maggie's head. Yes, she had been part of the PD's Science Division but still, she was just there for the muscle and to find out about aliens.

"Pass me the ionising filter please, Alex." Lena requested, approaching the microscope and putting a slide underneath, "The piece of the suit you picked up from the ground is made of a dense metal, my best guess is it’s a platinum-lead alloy."

"Platinum reacts with oxygen at high temperatures." Alex commented, "If we create a weapon that causes an explosion upon impact, we can destroy his suit."

"But the platinum-oxygen reaction happens slowly." Lena thought aloud, examining the fragment, "What about fluorine?"

"High temperatures again, but a quicker reaction." Alex agreed, "Do you have any?"

"Of course." Lena searched in the back room, coming back out with a conical flask of a yellow-ish liquid, "You have firepower which could make the temperature past at least 450° right?"

"Yeah. Our techs invented a bomb which encompasses the heat of three suns' cores last decade. We have that covered." Alex replied.

"So, all we need to do is beat Lar Gand while his suit is being destroyed, correct?" Winn asked, placing the fluorine in the spherical container.

"The DEO will shoot at him from all corners, Kara can use her laser vision." Alex said, "And NCPD can be there to make sure the public don't get hurt."

"Babysitters. Yay." Maggie commented sarcastically, wrapping her arms around Alex's waist.

"Mags, I gotta work." Alex leaned into the touch though, placing her arms on the shorter girl's shoulders.

"You sound cute when you talk about science." Maggie smirked, kissing the edge of Alex's lips, leaving the Danvers wanting more.

"Ew, can you guys take your affection somewhere more private?" Winn groaned, placing a small amount of the fluorine on the slide containing the suit fragment.

Lena observed from a distance, watching as nothing happened until Winn set fire to it. Flames danced around the metal until Alex used the fire extinguisher to put it out. They watched as the metal presented itself through the smoke, looking charred and almost disintegrated. They smiled in victory when the broken pieces crumbled apart in the slide.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Lena disappeared around the corner, returning with a gun-shaped object in her hand, "This will reverse the effects of the Kryptonite."

"How do you know?" Alex scanned her eyes over the weapon. It looked like a watergun but with a shining silver liquid inside.

"Lex invented it before he and Superman became enemies. He knew the effects of Kryptonite on the Kryptonian physiology so he created an antidote of sorts. But when he got the idea that he needed to protect humanity from Superman he hid the antidote.” She’d found it in the apartment’s vault last year but didn’t think it would work until she’d tested it herself, “It works.”

Lena pocketed the device, throwing the ball of fluorine at Alex.

“I’ll keep it safe.” Alex reassured her, “Do you want protection at Kara’s apartment again?”

“No, it’s okay.” Lena smiled in appreciation, “Thank you all for making these weapons with me, and for keeping me safe.”

“You’re family now, Lena.” Winn patted her on the back, “You can’t escape our affection anymore.”

Lena laughed, feeling her heart become lighter. It was a strange feeling to have a family. Admittedly, they weren’t her blood family, but somehow, Lena felt accepted for who she was. And that feeling was pretty awesome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let us know what you think! Thanks for reading


	7. Tribulations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhhh Hold On by Chord Overstreet on repeat for this whole friggin chapter

She shuffled on the floor, crossing her legs in front of Kara’s easel. She breathed deeply and continued to paint. Alex had dropped her off and gone back to the DEO to collect the solar weapon which could emit the heat. After a quick nap, Lena had spotted the easel and didn’t think Kara would mind if she used it.

Her painting had started off as just a stroke of cyan mixed with a darker shade until it looked like a sea. She could feel it in the way her heart sped up, how her cheeks flushed with something indescribable. When the wave of emotions subsided, Lena knew exactly what she wanted to paint.

Making sure not to get any oil paint on the carpet, Lena began the slow but cathartic process of painting a sea-scape. The shade reminded her of Kara’s eyes and she smiled fondly. There was a small lighthouse in the corner of the canvas. It represented Kara and what she stood for – hope. Hope that everything would get better, hope that they would come out stronger together. Kara had made her chant the phrase ‘el mayarah’ when she woke with nightmares about Mon-El; it made her feel safe. She had that effect on people, not only as Supergirl but Kara Danvers too.

  
Lena could feel it in her bones as she painted on the reflection of the sun – she had fallen in love with all of Kara. Earth and Krypton.

Lena finished up, leaving the painting on the easel to dry, scrubbing the oils off her hands. She heard the lock to the door click and gripped the gun tucked in her trousers. Her stomach ached from the adrenaline but she sighed in relief when she saw the lithe figure of her friend. Girlfriend? They would have to talk about their relationship status later.

“Hey,” Kara kissed her cheek, shedding her coat with a serious look in her eye, “I have to tell you something.”

“What’s happened?” Lena asked tentatively, sitting on the dining table.

Kara twisted her hands before latching on to Lena’s, stepping between her legs. The alien observed the paint stuck in Lena’s nails and smiled before she remembered the topic, “Your mother... Lillian made Lar Gand.”

Her brow creased, “How do you know?”

“She paid for the Kryptonite.” Kara’s voice was small, as if she was trying to judge whether or not Lena would blow up at her, “I’m so sorry.”

“I should be saying that to you.” The CEO’s voice had a sharp edge to it, her eyes preoccupied with wild thoughts about her mother. Kara quietened them by rubbing her thumb up and down Lena’s palm, “How can we stop her?”

“She only had enough Kryptonite to make one version of Lar Gand so as long as we keep our stores in the base, she won’t be a threat.”

Lena groaned, covering her face with her hands, thinking about how complicated the situation was becoming, before placing her them on Supergirl's hips.

"It's going to be okay," Kara whispered, rubbing her hands up and down Lena's legs either side of her.

The sentence was mundane, ordinary, but coming from Kara it felt real. Lena was reassured immediately. There was nothing Kara couldn't do.

"Hey, um, what temperature does your heat vision get to?" The scientist asked, frowning with interest.

"400, 500° maybe. Why?"

Lena leapt off the table and dug into her bag, finding the small device. She handed the gun to Kara, sitting with her legs tucked under herself on the sofa. Supergirl joined her, examining the weapon, noticing the silver liquid inside.

"What's inside?"

"An ionised mixture of different elements. Basically, it will make you stronger in the presence of the Kryptonite suit."

Kara brought the gun up to eye-level, aiming it at the window to get a feel for it.

"Shoot yourself with it." Lena turned the weapon around so that it pressed against Kara's stomach, "It'll make you stronger."

"Are you sure?"

Lena's eyebrow twitched up and she smirked, "Have I ever let you down?"

"True." Supergirl placed the weapon on the arm of the sofa, knowing it would be within arm's reach if she needed it, "Is this what you were doing today?"

"Yeah, and we may have found a way to destroy the suit altogether, but Alex has taken that one to the DEO with her." Lena stated, resting her head on the arm of the sofa, facing Kara fully, "What did you do today?"

"Uh, visited the base and helped Lucy, you'll meet her at Game Night soon, don't worry."

"You...want me to stick around? Even after this whole fiasco finishes?" Lena asked quietly, forgetting for a moment that she was in the presence of Supergirl.

"Of course I do." Kara shuffled closer and the CEO twirled herself around so that she was safely in Kara's arms, "J'onn and I stopped a few threats too on the way back."

"Were you being careful?"

Kara bit her lip, knowing full-well that Lena's eyebrow was raised in that adorable way, "Always."

Lena hummed, her tone suggesting she wasn't entirely convinced.

  
Kara basked in the warmth that radiated off Lena's body, a stark contrast to the chilly night. She cradled the CEO's body in her arms, hugging her close to her chest. The night had been peaceful, the only slight commotion being near Metropolis, which she and J'onn had handled easily. She relaxed back on the sofa, bringing Lena back with her.

"Kara?" Lena whispered, lifting her head from Supergirl's chest. The moment felt intimate, like a secret she wasn't supposed to know, "What if we become our parents?" She turned to face the hero, "What if we become evil just like them?"

Kara sighed, the weight of the question sinking in, "You aren't like your mother, Lena." She ran her fingers through Lena's hair, "As I am not like mine." It still hurt when Kara admitted her parents weren't saints.

She felt Lena's hand take her own and gulped at the relaxation she felt, this was what home felt like. All those times Alex talked to her about Maggie being 'the one' finally made sense. It was overwhelming to say the least. She had never felt love of this degree before, only James came close and their love was strictly platonic now. They had only been dating for a short amount of time, but Kara could see herself growing old with Lena.

  
The two would get a house on the beachfront, somewhere on the outskirts of Metropolis or Midvale even, their kids coming to visit every so often. Sleeping together; not necessarily in the sexual way, just drifting off to sleep while she held Lena tightly. She would take Lena's last name, prove to her that the Luthor name meant something better. Together they would dissipate every prejudicial jerkface who dared to assume Lena was evil.

Kara shook her head, coming out of her reverie to see Lena staring up at her.

Lena smiled softly, her emerald eyes shining bright in her dimly lit apartment, "Can you tell me again about your planet? Please?"

Kara's eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she tried to recall every small detail, "We weren't a poor family, one of the richest actually. When Kal—Clark was born, I knew he was special. It was clear we were meant for something more. We just didn't know what."

Lena stroked her thumb over Kara's hand reassuringly, noticing her clenched jaw, "You don't have to tell me if it's too much. Don't worry, Kara." The alien's eyes looked hollow, broken.

"No, I- I want to." She replied, taking a deep breath, "Krypton was perfect, the atmosphere was clean, the air crisp. It was perfect." Kara fiddled with her necklace, "My mother gave me this before I was sent to Earth." She choked back a sob and Lena's heart broke at the sight.

Lena stared into Kara's eyes, amazed at the vulnerability she was allowed to see. It was strange being able to relate so much to another person. Lena was grateful that she had been given a chance to love the hero. She would be damned if she messed this relationship up.

"I thought my mother was an angel, that she couldn't hurt a fly. And I was wrong." The Girl of Steel's voice broke, "She was corrupt and despicable, I was too young or too naïve to see that." She ducked her head, eyes fixated on the cool metal around her neck.

"It wasn't your fault, Kara, you couldn't have known your mother would do bad." Lena softened her eyes, placing her hand on Kara's cheek. Their eyes met slowly, and Lena smiled reassuringly.

"Exactly." Kara took one last look into Lena's eyes before she got up to get them some water, "You couldn't have known Lillian was evil." She immediately felt colder after having left the younger woman's side.

Lena scoffed but her eyes were playful, "You're clever, Miss Danvers."

Kara returned with the water and she placed a chaste kiss on Lena's lips, Lena pulled her closer, her hand on the alien's waist, the other coming up to wipe Kara's tearstained cheeks. Straddling her waist, Kara deepened the kiss and reached up to cup Lena's cheek. Lena pulled back reluctantly, putting her forehead against Kara's shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, the CEO whispered, "I don't want to rush this. Whatever _we_ are, we need to do it right."

“I know.” Kara agreed, kissing her cheek. She rolled off her girlfriend’s body and sighed, “Chinese or Indian?”

"I swear, if you weren't an alie—"

The door burst open. Kara's heart stopped from fear. Lena's heart slowed from the bullet.

“ _No!_ ”

The shot rang out in the apartment and Lena collapsed on the floor, clutching her chest as the adrenaline numbed her pain. Kara skidded to a stop next to her as the CEO coughed, spluttering crimson blood on the floor, staining the carpet.

“No, no no _no_.” Kara stared in horror as the liquid seeped slowly from the wound in Lena's chest, “Don’t do this to me.”

Kara froze for a moment before the voice of her mother kick-started her instincts. She applied pressure to the wound, watching as the blood oozed around her fingers and slowly on to the floor.

Lena’s eyes widened as she felt the need to throw up. The pain became sickening, the muscles in her abdomen tightening. She blinked her eyes open, seeing the offender in all his supposed regality.

"Kar..." She gagged but continued, "Kara."

“Fight, Lena. You can do it. Stay strong. _Be strong!_ ” Supergirl could feel her eyes welling up as she heard the heartbeat slow down. Kara took a deep breath, trying to look as composed as possible. She needed to be strong for Lena. She smoothed her love's hair down, "I'm right here. I'm not," She felt her throat close up with a sob, “I’m not going anywhere."

"No." Lena gulped down the blood, removing her hand to see the sticky scarlet liquid pooling on her top. She rested her head back on the floor with a stifled groan, “The device... End this.”

Kara shook her head, “I’m not leaving your side, Lena.” She lifted up the CEO’s head so that it was on her lap. She cradled her face and noticed the tears stemming from Lena’s eyes, rolling slowly down her cheek. Wiping them away, Kara continued, “I love you.” She prayed helpessly, trying to keep the light in Lena's eyes from fading away.

Lena bit her lip, nodding her head despite the pain, “I love you too, Kara. Kara Zor-El.” The fleeting yet exhilarating time she'd had with Kara had been so special, she never thought it would be so short, though. But it was okay. It was her time. She gagged again on the warm, metallic blood, spluttering on Kara’s jeans. She reached up faintly to touch Supergirl's lips with her finger, smearing blood on her chin accidentally, “Be the hero I know you are. Please.” The word was barely a whisper but Kara heard it.

"Don't do this, Lena." She begged, resting her head on Lena's chest, "I need you."

"It's okay." The CEO's chest heaved with the effort. She nodded again, "It's okay." Lena watched as Supergirl bit her lip, the tears rolling down her cheeks, falling gracefully. With some effort, Lena touched her fingers to the cool metal of Kara's necklace - the symbol of hope, and peace.

She sobbed helplessly into Lena’s chest, hating the way her heartbeat was fading away, slowly but surely, “Please...Please don’t leave me.” Kara didn’t know if she was strong enough alone, “ _Hold on._ ” Lena's hand dropped from her necklace, falling to Kara's side, her muscles relaxing on the floor.

She didn’t respond; a tear escaped Lena’s eyes with a sense of finality and Kara let out a shaky breath, wiping it away. She pressed their lips together, shaking her head, refusing to believe it. The kiss of the one true love could heal any wound. Nevertheless the faint beat trickled away until only Kara’s labored cries could be heard in the apartment, “Ple-please. Hold on.” She repeated, begging Lena to breathe again.

“She’s dead, Kara.” Lar Gand’s gravelly voice cut through the chorus of sobs shaking Kara’s body. She turned to face him, her eyes wet, hot, angry. The effects of the Kryptonite were getting stronger but Kara couldn’t bring herself to care.

“You k-killed her.” Kara breathed in disbelief, refusing to move away from Lena’s body.

“I said I would.” He stated, his eyes looking somewhat remorseful, “Now you can be with me.”

Supergirl scoffed; her eyes widened with shock as she hugged Lena again, willing her to breathe again, “I don’t want to be with you, Mon-El. I loved Lena. I will always love her.” It was her fault; she loved too hard and way too fast. But Lena was just so perfect.

The idea sprung to Kara’s mind. It was hazy, and dangerous, yes; but it would mean she could kiss Lena again. Just one last time.

“She didn’t care about you,” Lar Gand said, placing his hand on Kara’s shoulder, “Not like I do.”

Supergirl couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She shrugged away from his touch, pushing him away from Lena’s body, “If you cared about me, you wouldn’t have... you wouldn’t have killed h- _her_.” She couldn’t say her name anymore, the pain in her chest grew stronger with every breath she took without her.

Lar Gand clenched his jaw angrily, “I did this so we could be together, Kara. Because _I_ love you.”

“I don’t want you, Mon-El.” She leaped up and swung her fist at his chest, connecting with a _clank_ , “I never wanted you. Is that what you want to hear? Is that why you started this?” She didn’t care if she got injured anymore. Nothing else mattered.

Her fist connected with the metal, no doubt bruising her knuckles. She kept hitting him, again and again. Gand put his arms up to defend himself, kicking at Kara’s stomach, sending her skidding across the floor, stopping near Lena’s lifeless corpse. Lena.

Supergirl crawled to the sofa; picking up the weapon her love had created. She hid behind the sofa, listening as the quiet, calculated footsteps slowed slightly. She clenched her jaw, noticing the bruise blooming on her stomach.

Putting the weapon against her stomach, just like Lena had done a mere hour ago, Kara screwed her eyes shut and shot herself, the silver liquid diffusing through her body, inhibiting her cells almost immediately. Taking one last look at Lena’s body, she charged at Lar Gand, knocking him over. He fell to the floor and Kara kicked him, just like he had done at the warehouse – relentlessly and mercilessly. He caught her leg, throwing her away from him. He picked himself off the ground and ran at Kara fist colliding with her cheek. He swung their bodies around so that he held her in a headlock.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Kara.” She struggled against him, “Don’t make me kill you too.”

She elbowed him in his stomach, jabbing his throat with her other hand, making Gand release her with a spluttering cough. She activated her heat vision, thanking Lena for making the weapon work. Lar Gand braced against the lasers, his boots digging into Kara’s floor. He looked in shock that he was being beaten. His eye was bruised, and he gasped for air. He let out a hoarse growl, his legs giving out so he splayed on the floor next to Lena’s corpse.

Kara gulped down the lump in her throat; she could still see the tears pooled around Lena’s eyes. Was she in pain? Was it her fault?

Kara let out another sob, covering her mouth to quieten herself, falling to her knees beside Lena. Her love. Her best friend. In the corner of her eye, she could see Mon-El crawl away but she didn’t care.

She needed to make this right. She needed to hear Lena’s voice again, soothing her nerves or even giving her a quote for her stupid CatCo articles.

She pulled Lena into her arms, the muscles were relaxed, covered in blood. She brought her lips down to Lena’s forehead, staying there until all she could hear was silence. Supergirl let out a bloodcurdling scream, muffled by Lena’s hair, the strawberry scent fading away. She couldn’t let go. After losing everyone she loved on Krypton she wasn’t going to lose everyone on Earth. She inhaled the scent again before shutting Lena’s eyes. The shade of green she’d known and loved with every fibre of her being had been replaced by a darkness she needed to forget.

  
A darkness she needed to make right.

The idea came back in Kara’s mind and she pursed her lips, silently debating if it was a good idea. She didn’t know the consequences, but she needed Lena.

“Don’t worry, Lena.” Her voice cracked as she said the name, threading their fingers together, “I’ll make it right.”

With one last look at her love, Kara launched herself into the night sky.

Her instincts were screaming at her to stop, to think about the situation; but as she flew through the skies, her mind fixated on the warm, thick blood staining her carpets as Lena breathed her last breaths, the almost silent gasps she made, the...

Kara shook her head, the wind tousling her hair. Rao, she was just playing with Lena’s hair, they had _just_ kissed. Kara screamed into the abyss of stars, the atmosphere changing pressure as she reached the ozone layer. Her lungs were burning with the need for air but she could only scream, hoping it would take away the pain.  
Maybe it was selfish – to turn back time to save the woman she loved. Lena would probably say it was poetic, make a snide comment about how there couldn’t be a love that strong. In the silence, Kara could hear the voices of her family. Her mother would tell her to do what she thought was right; father would say to trust herself; Kal had done the same for Lois; Alex would fight to the death for Maggie.  
Kara needed to do this.

She looked down at herself, her clothes stained with blood and sweat, the bruise on her stomach healing quickly. She was strong, the strongest in the world. But she couldn’t let Lena go. Lena was the one.

She’d heard about time travel from Kal, and Barry had explained it to her last year. She glanced down at Earth, at the small spec she now called home. She began to fly around the Earth, anticlockwise. She picked up the speed until she was just a blur. She could feel the wet, hot tears brimming up again but she wiped them away; the nightmare would be over soon. All Kara knew was that she needed Lena. And nothing would stop her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...don't kill us!! (well you can kill reigncorpforlife) (well it was y5o's idea sooooo) Also, pretend there's no consequences to time travel
> 
> that superman reference tho


	8. The Cold Game

Kara stepped into her home, body aching from the chill of the night. If the time travel had worked she had been returned into the same body, an hour earlier in the night. There wouldn't be another of her flying around the city. She gawked at how clean the room looked, even though mere moments ago it had been practically demolished. There wasn't glass everywhere, the painting Lena made for her sat unfinished on the easel. The floorboard was polished and cleaned, as if no one had ever set foot on it.

She walked through the apartment tentatively, coming to the spot where Lena was once a lifeless body, her blood dripping down on to the carpet as Kara watched her fade away helplessly. Was it selfish to want to see her love again? Yes. But Kara had the means and she'd be damned if the last memory she had of Lena was her death.

The pool of blood was gone, in fact the room looked like it hadn't been touched. The moon beamed through the curtains, shining down into the room, creating an almost ethereal feel. It made Kara consider the possibility this was a dream. She continued to venture around the home, seeing everything perfectly intact. Coming back into the bedroom, she noticed the bed sheets were crumpled up as if someone was just lying there.

She jumped when she felt warm arms around her waist. Turning around, she saw her – it was Lena, _her_ Lena, alive and well looking at her with such love and admiration in her eyes that Kara couldn't help but hold her breath; it had to be a dream.

"Hey, stranger." Lena greeted, smiling up at Kara, her eyes crinkling at the corners, that adorable dimple denting her cheek.

Kara reached up and touched Lena's lips softly. It was a gentle touch, as if she was afraid the mirage would break right in front of her. She threaded their hands together, squeezing, tears brimming in her eyes as she felt her heart piece itself back together again.

"I can't believe you're here again." Kara whispered, chuckling with disbelief, "You came back."

"Kara? Are you okay?" Lena frowned, taking note of the unshed tears in her sapphire orbs. She tried to read anything off Supergirl's face that would indicate what was wrong. She squeezed Kara's hand, trying to soothe her.

Kara broke into a grin, biting her lip, "I'm perfect."

The alien kissed her, almost laughing at the surprised noise that came from Lena. Kara needed to remember how it felt to have the hope of growing old with Lena, getting a house on the beachfront, having kids. Kara moved them back to the bed, never breaking the kiss. She needed Lena.

Lena's knees hit the back of the bed and she fell back, Kara following quickly behind, chasing the CEO's lips with desperation.

Lena was the drug she couldn't get enough of. She flipped them around so that Lena settled herself on her lap, the raven hair cascading neatly over one shoulder. Kara ran her hands up Lena's bare thighs, making Lena gasp silently into her mouth. Kara took advantage of the split second of surprise to slip her tongue into Lena's mouth, earning another small gasp of pleasure.

She flooded her emotions into the kiss, needing to tell Kara how much she loved her. Supergirl's hands clawed on to Lena's hips, and then her back, needing her closer. The kiss was becoming heated as they battled for dominance. The fact that Kara was holding back her power made Lena cherish how gentle she was being. She pulled away to stare into Kara's hooded eyes.

"I love you." Lena let the words slip, her eyes widening as she breathed out the confession, the urge to admit her love was almost suffocating. She felt lighter as the words swirled around the silence of the room, "And I'm scared."

Kara frowned, stroking Lena's hip softly, "You don't have to be scared of love."

The CEO laughed at her thoughts, resting her head on Kara's shoulder, "But I am."

"It's going to get easier. I promise you, the hard times are behind us." Kara's eyes were unfocused, like she'd had a memory, "I'm never letting you go."

"Are we just kidding ourselves, though?" Lena asked, distractedly playing with her love's golden locks, "You're a Super and I'm a Luthor. Maybe we aren't meant to last."

Kara wrapped her arms around Lena's waist, pulling them closer until their eyes met, "Don't you want to find out? I'm willing to give us a chance."

Lena pursed her lips until she smiled, "So am I."

"Good." Supergirl breathed a sigh of relief, pulling Lena in for a kiss.

Lena pulled away from Kara's lips, studying her pouting face for a while before she narrowed her eyes, "What's wrong?"

The conversation clicked in Kara's mind and she remembered this version of Lena didn't know about Lillian's involvement with Mon-El.

"Your mother... Lillian made Lar Gand."

"How do you know?" Her brow creased and Kara had to swallow down the emotions as she recalled Lena doing the same thing an hour ago when they had this conversation the first time.

"She paid for the Kryptonite." Kara's voice was small but she knew Lena wouldn't blow up at her, "I'm so sorry."

"I should be saying that to you." The CEO's voice had a sharp edge to it, her eyes preoccupied with wild thoughts about her mother. Kara quietened them by rubbing her thumb across Lena's hip. Lena groaned, covering her face with her hands, thinking about how complicated the situation was becoming, before placing them on Kara's shoulders.

"Where's the device you made today?" Supergirl asked, making her frown.

"How do you know about that?"

"I, uh," Kara scratched her forehead, "Alex told me." She would tell Lena about the time travel later, when they were both safe.

"Oh." Lena looked convinced enough to run to the other room to fetch the device, "Shoot yourself with it and you'll become stronger in the presence of the Kryptonite suit." She said, as she flopped back onto the bed next to Kara.

“Perfect.”

Kara opened up her arms for Lena to shuffle into. They got under the covers, content with just holding each other. When the world wasn’t falling apart they would be able to love each other properly.

She cradled the CEO’s body in her arms, hugging her impossibly close to her chest, making sure Lena knew she was loved. The night had been far from peaceful for Kara, but she needed to get back home and see her love. Her one _true_ love.

“Kara?” Lena whispered, lifting her head up from Supergirl’s chest. Kara had nearly forgotten how intimate the moment had felt, like a secret she wasn’t supposed to remember, “What if we become our parents?” She turned to face the hero, “What if we become evil just like them?”

Kara frowned, blatantly remembering the conversation and what happened next. Her eyes widened with fear, pulling herself away from Lena, scrambling off the bed to put on her Supergirl boots on.

“Kar?” Lena shot up, holding the sheet over her sleep-shirt.

“Get dressed, please.” Kara saw Lena hadn’t moved yet, “Now.”

“Why...?”

Kara let out a frustrated groan, using her superspeed to dress Lena appropriately; Lar Gand would be at the apartment in less than half an hour.

“Do you trust me?” Kara asked, pulling Lena in by the waist, hoisting her up so that she was carrying her in a bridal fashion.

“No.” Lena smiled, clenching her jaw as they started flying out the window - to where? Lena didn’t know.

 

They landed in a desert, the air thick with heat, the night masking the concealed door to an underground building. Lena pondered the theory of this being the DEO Supergirl worked with.

A shorter woman, with dark brown curls that reached her shoulder, approached them in a corridor, embracing Kara in a brief hug. She had a weapon strapped to her thigh and Lena eyed her curiously. She wasn’t jealous though...okay maybe a little.

The woman released Supergirl, pulling back to scan her eyes over Lena’s body. She raised her eyebrow, “You got good taste, Kar.”

Supergirl blushed a deep red, swatting at the woman’s shoulder before introducing them, “Lena Luthor, meet General Lucy Lane. Head of the DEO.”

Lucy smirked, holding out her hand for Lena to shake, “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Luthor.”

“Likewise.” Lena shook her hand gratefully. It seemed like she was getting on with most of Kara’s friends so far, so that was good.

“What’s the status?” Lucy asked, crossing her arms over her chest, her demeanor becoming serious.

“Lar Gand will be at my apartment in 20 minutes.” Supergirl replied, “I need a DEO strike team to head out with me, with advanced weaponry.”

“Alex has the other device we made.” Lena added, her eyes flicking between the two women.

“I can spare no more than 3 agents, including Alex.” Lucy pursed her lips in thought, “I can call the NCPD and see if they’ll be willing to assist. I can call James too.”

“Thanks.” Supergirl turned to face Lena, “I need you to stay here. No matter what happens, don’t go anywhere, promise me.”

“Okay.” Lena said, unsure.

Supergirl turned to leave but Lena pulled her back, twisting her hands in the supersuit.

“That wasn’t a proper goodbye.” Lena raised her eyebrow, capturing Kara’s lips in a heated kiss.

Kara held her breath as she relished the moment, her hands snaking through the younger woman’s hair. They pulled back when they heard Lucy’s wolfwhistle. They glared at Lucy, only slightly amused at the interruption.

"Be a hero I know you are, Kara." Lena said, licking her bruised lips.

Kara smiled fondly at her love, "Once this is all over, you will see how much of a hero you are too, 'kay?"

"Doubt that." Lena snarked, backing away from Kara's warmth with a small grin.

Supergirl ran the expanse of the DEO, finding her sister in the labs, cradling a sphere with an orange liquid inside as she looked though a microscope.

"We're attacking Lar Gand when he gets to my apartment. Are you coming?" Kara asked, putting her hands on her hips in an authoritative stance.

Alex's posture straightened as she lifted herself up from the microscope, "Of course."

 

 

They reached the apartment in record time, two other agents trailing a step behind. They stood in the alleyway next to Kara's apartment complex, waiting until they saw a blackened van pull up on the street. It sat idle for five minutes, and the DEO team hung back, watching and waiting with eager anticipation. James hadn’t turned up yet, but the team continued to wait.

Eventually, the door slid open and Lar Gand rushed out, slipping into the apartment with a determined glint in his eye. The door remained open and for a split-second Kara saw another person in the car. But it wouldn’t take long for her to recognise arguably the most dangerous woman in the country. Lillian Luthor was sat in the passenger seat, watching as her creation broke through the apartment block's doors.

Kara signalled that she would fly up to the roof with Alex and the other two agents moved in to apprehend Lillian Luthor. Supergirl held on to Alex as she flew them up, landing with a quiet thud on the roof.

Alex removed the spherical object from her bag and got her gun out, clicking the safety off.

She shivered from the cold of the night, her suit not doing anything to protect her from the sharp winds piercing through their bodies. She was tempted to stop the whole charade, to tell Alex and Lena what had happened and let the events play out as they were designed to. But Lar Gand would have killed again; he would have left Alex in the same state, then Eliza, then James, then Winn and then she would have no one. Just like in the Phantom Zone, she would be alone with only the memories of her family.

They broke down the door to the roof silently, and Alex lifted her weapon up to eye-level. Kara shot herself with the serum and could feel the infusion in her bloodstream immediately. She screwed her eyes shut, letting her hearing overload itself with the slow, calculated patter of combat boots. Her eyes filled with a desperate determination as they ran to the outside of Kara’s apartment. The door had already broken off its hinges and Kara could hear heavy breaths.

  
For a fleeting second, she worried it was Lena again - bleeding out on the floor as she took her last breaths. But she tuned her hearing into Lena’s heartbeat, thankful to hear Lucy’s next to her. Lena was safe for now.

Lar Gand was kneeling on the floor when the sisters crossed the threshold, muttering something under his breath and letting out a frustrated groan when all he heard in his earpiece was static. Alex aimed her weapon and Kara charged her laser vision, both aiming at the unsuspecting man.

Gand turned around at the sound of the charge. His usually cold, emotionless eyes portrayed shock at the two agents. His heavy breaths filled the silence as the sisters allowed him to piece together what was happening. He looked down at his verdant chestplate and then back up to Kara's fiery orbs, "How are your powers working?"

"Face down, palms flat on the ground." Alex directed him, approaching cautiously as Kara dared him with her lasers, "Now."

Reluctantly he lowered his face to the floor, hovering just above where Lena's body would have been. He looked crestfallen as Alex cuffed him, ripping out his Kryptonite heart. Kara didn't trust herself to speak so she allowed Alex to take the lead.

He was dragged away, Kara staying a few paces behind as Lar Gand was stuffed into Lillian's vehicle, the older Luthor in handcuffs already, guarded by the other two DEO agents. Lillian wore a sinister grin, her features brightening minimally when she spotted what was left of Gand's suit.

Kara stayed silent, watching the familiar streets blur into one as Alex drove. She clenched her jaw when her hearing involuntarily locked on to Mon-El's breathing. How could a man be so consumed by anger that he would go out of his way to make her life hell? But then, as the stars began to emerge from the clouds in the skies, Kara remembered what she'd done – she had changed the course of time. No person, human _or_ alien, should have that amount of power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good or nah? Let us know so we can improve next time. Thanks for reading.


	9. End of the Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blame y5o guys

The car ride was mostly silent, Alex offering sympathetic glances as the neared the DEO desert base. Kara fiddled with her fingers, cleaning Lena's remaining blood off her hands distractedly as the guilt gnawed at her subconscious. Had she made the right decision? Turning back time for the one she loved was stupid, but... she couldn’t live in a world without Lena. She wouldn’t.

"We won't stop." Lillian stated nonchalantly as they sped over a dirt road, "We will keep coming for all you aliens."

Lar Gand grunted in agreement, "When I break out of your prison, I will kill everyone you love, Kara Zor-El."

Supergirl snapped her head back, her eyes narrowed, shocking the two guards momentarily.

Her eyes were smouldering fires as they brimmed with tears, her usually youthful complexion having aged from the past few weeks.

"No. You won't kill anyone else." She roared, making Alex jump from the driver's seat until she straightened herself out again, "You won't hurt anyone I love. And you will not escape."

"Kara." Alex whispered, trying to make sure Supergirl didn’t murder them there and then. But Supergirl didn't hear. Alex's voice sounded like a distant thought to her, like she was drowning and her sister was trying to call her back.

Lillian scoffed, "You can't keep us locked up." She stated confidently as they hit a bump in the road, Alex working quickly to keep the vehicle steady. The van straightened out and they continued, slower than before.

Kara's jaw was clenched, she could hear her own blood pumping in her ears, "You'll be banished to the Phantom Zone."

She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she turned to look outside at the swirling clouds, noticing the oncoming storm, "General Lane said I would choose your punishments and I choose to send you both to the Phantom Zone."

"Kara..." Alex started but she didn't finish her sentence. She could see Supergirl's labored breaths, how her fists were clenched into balls in her lap. She thought she saw blood on Kara's hands but it was too dark to be sure.

Nevertheless, the older Danvers sister softened her eyes with worry. They would have to get permission from both Lucy and J'onn, but once they saw how distressed Kara was they would have to understand.

  
"You can't do that." Lillian's eyes widened, shaking her head frantically as she looked between the sisters, "It's against our rights."

"And what right did you have to kill the love of my life? She was your own daughter!" Supergirl shouted before she processed what she'd said.

"Wh..." Lillian had gone pale as the vehicle stopped outside the base.

No one dared to move. Kara stared Lillian and Mon-El down, repressing her emotions as they panicked. Supergirl sighed and sulked back in her chair, not daring to look at Alex. The back doors shut and the criminals and the other two DEO agents exited, leaving the sisters behind.

Kara felt Alex's hand on her knee, rubbing her thumb up and down. She nearly scoffed at herself when she felt the tear roll down her cheek; she had promised herself she was done crying, and yet here she was.

"Lena isn't dead, Kar." Alex whispered, knowing Supergirl had her hearing on maximum as she tracked the prisoners inside.

"I..." Kara's voice broke from the emotions but she gulped them down again, her eyes cold, serious, "I turned back time to save her."

Alex's eyes widened with shock but she covered it up quickly, "H-how? Why aren't there any consequences?"

"I don't know." Supergirl let out a resigned sigh, "But I saw Lena die. I held her in my arms as..."

"Oh, Kara." Alex's eyes softened again, "I'm sorry."

She could hear the pity in Alex's voice and she brushed her hand off her leg. She was the Girl of Steel, for Rao's sake. She didn't need anyone's pity.

"We should get inside." Alex said, noticing the change in her sister's demeanor.  
  
The two DEO agents had transported Lillian and Mon-El into the interrogation rooms already, putting the blindfold over Lillian's eyes to stop her from memorising the route.

Mon-El already knew the protocols so they didn't bother blindfolding him, which Supergirl thought was a mistake when he flaunted his handcuffs, taking the time to roam his eyes over Eliza's crippled figure in the infirmary.

The whole of the DEO had paused when the pair were brought in, in awe that the dangerous criminals had been caught. It almost felt like the crowd were going to clap when Kara and Alex entered, but the pair wore solemn expressions and simply followed the prisoners to the interrogation rooms.

Lucy was already in Mon-El's room, her arms crossed behind her back, the frown set. Mon-El smirked as he was sat down. Lucy circled him and he tracked her movement with his eyes.

Kara hung to the back of the room, refraining from using her powers to take Mon-El's pathetic life. It was strange to think she had ever felt something for this monster. The suit had merely given him the means to delve into his rotten thoughts, and that was unforgivable.

Lucy sat down opposite the man, placing her palms out on the table.

"What were you doing in Kara Danvers' apartment?"

No response.

"Who do you work for?"

No response.

"Is there anyone else we should be worried about?"

Again, no response.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, feeling her skin crawl with fear as he shot her an icy glare.

"Start talking, Mon-El." Supergirl commanded, "Or I'll throw you to the Phantom Zone myself."

"Empty threats." He tutted until Supergirl yanked him off his chair by the carcass of his suit. His smirk became strained and there was confusion in his eyes.

He looked hesitant before he got the courage to speak, "What did you mean about me killing the love of your live?"

Supergirl's grip faltered and Mon-El slumped back into his seat, a growing smile playing at his lips.

"You did something, didn’t you?" He let out a hoarse laugh, "That's how you knew we were coming."

"Supergirl?" Lucy called her back as her eyes charged with lasers, hitting Mon-El's bare chestplate with a thump, sending him spiralling across the floor.

Lucy pushed her out of the room and into the hallway, frowning as Kara wrung her fingers angrily, "You can't be here." Lucy concluded after a tense moment of silence.

Kara ran her hands through her hair, the usually tight ringlets knotted slightly after her outburst, "And we can't send them to the Phantom Zone."

"Why not? If money's an issue, I can send him there for free." Supergirl paced the hallway, her stomps causing the floor to shake.

"We have cells, Kar. We can lock them up for the rest of their lives." Lucy reasoned, but Kara shook her head.

"They'll escape and come after us again, and again. I can't bear to see anyone I love die. Not again." Kara slumped against the wall, her eyes fluttering closed as she slowly lowered herself on to the floor. She couldn't cry; all her tears had been spent, she didn't need to cry anymore.

"What happened?" Lucy sat next to her, folding her legs under herself, wrapping her friend in a tight embrace.

"I..." Supergirl couldn't respond, her throat was tightening with emotion and her breathing became labored. She let out a frustrated sigh, "I can't do this anymore."

She couldn't keep up the façade that everything was okay when inside she was breaking apart. She scoffed at the irony – the Girl of Steel, taken down by her emotions. She needed to tell Lena the truth, "I'm sorry."

Supergirl pushed herself off the floor and set out in search of her love. It would be okay. Worst case scenario was that Lena would hate her and never speak to her again, but as long as she was alive Kara was happy.

She tuned her hearing to find the comforting heartbeat next to Alex's and Maggie's. Kara inhaled deeply, mentally preparing herself. The DEO base was cold, the rumble of thunder could be heard even by the humans but Kara felt free. She would be free from the burden of this secret soon enough.

Alex was spinning on Winn's chair at the operations table, Lena and Maggie at her side laughing about something, Kara didn't know what. The moment was pure, her family looked perfect. She would never forget her family on Krypton of course but, like she had said a lifetime ago, love bonds us all. She still wanted the hope of growing old with Lena but she also needed to be realistic. She already aged at a much slower rate than humans so she would have to see Lena die again. Or Lena would have to deal with Kara dying as Supergirl. Or…

"Supergirl!" Alex's chipper voice cut through her morbid thoughts and she was beckoned over.

Kara couldn't take her eyes off Lena as she neared her family; how could she stand to lose someone so amazing, and kind, and pure. Kara cupped her cheek and Lena leaned into the touch, "I can't lose you." She whispered, closing her eyes to savor the moment, "Not again."

Kara ran thumb over Lena's pale cheeks her soft skin glided like butter over her fingertip.

“What?” Lena sounded breathless, like all the air had been knocked out of her lungs. The CEO searched her eyes in confusion, her brow creasing as she noted Kara had trapped her trembling lip in her teeth, gnawing at it nervously, “What do you mean?”

Maggie and Alex slipped away, leaving the couple alone. Alex threw back an encouraging nod at her sister and Kara gave her a small smile in return.

“I’m so sorry.” Supergirl chewed her bottom lip, pressing their foreheads together, feeling Lena stroke her hips tenderly, “I did... I did something bad.” She looked down at the floor tiles, fiddling with her necklace.

Lena crouched down, trying to get the eye contact again, her eyes softening when she succeeded. The alien’s eyes were hollow and Lena was reminded she’s seen the death of her planet, “It’s okay. Whatever you did, it’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Kara let out a quiet sob as she fell into Lena’s awaiting arms, “I... y-you died. And I couldn’t deal with it.” She hiccupped, here body shaking from the sobs as Lena stroked her hair, “So I turned back time.”

“Oh, Kara.” Lena frowned, squeezing her softly, trying to convey her love through the touch, “You shouldn’t have.” She joked, trying to life their spirits.

“I couldn’t...” Kara’s lips trembled again and another sob shook herring body, but Lena hugged her through it, whispering reassurances into the blonde locks, “I couldn’t live with myself if you died.” She sniffed and messily wiped away her tears.

Lena couldn’t help but look at her with such love and tenderness, and she kissed Supergirl’s forehead after they sat down on the floor. Kara rested her head in Lena’s lap, the CEO’S running her hands through the golden curls. Lena narrowed her eyes at anyone who thought to approach them.

After a few moments of silence, and after Kara had stopped sniffling again, Lena let curiosity get the better of her.

“How did I die?” She asked, then adding for clarification, “You know, in the other reality.”

Kara shook her head, lifting herself up so she was sat next to her love, their backs resting on the operations table, “It wasn’t an alternate reality. It happened, and I turned back time so it didn’t. And, um, Lar G—Mon-El shot you.”

“How did you know it would work?” She asked, the scientific side of her getting excited about the prospect of time travel.

“I didn’t. Kal told me about it when I was younger, Barry more recently.” Supergirl stated, intertwining their fingers to keep the contact. She needed this to be real and not some mirage. She needed Lena, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“No, it’s okay, I totally understand.” Lena waved her hand in the air dismissively.

“I will work on being more open and honest with you.” Kara promised, catching Lena’s hand and placing a gentle kiss on her palm, “I just want you to know that I don’t regret changing the course of time for you. I can’t live without you, I guess.” Supergirl cringed as soon as the words escaped her mouth, thinking about how cliché that was.

“I feel the same way about you, minus the time travel, of course." Lena bumped their shoulders together, smiling fondly until she had a idea, “Unless we can synthesize the reacting agent in the quantum generator and-”

“Nope, ever again.” Supergirl stated, resting her arm around Lena’s shoulders, burying her face in Lena’s strawberry-scented hair. Her stomach churned with the memory but then it growled from hunger and Kara simpered away from Lena’s concerned frown, “I haven’t eat since lunch.”

“We’ll have to change that then.”

Kara sighed, grinning, "Let's go home."

 

The frying pan oozed a satisfying chorus of sizzling sounds mixed with the soft sound of music playing. Both decided on a movie while Lena insisted on making dinner against Kara's protests. She reached for the pepper gently tapping it over the chicken while subconsciously swaying her hips, the black flakes gently rained down onto the pinkened skin. Taking the onions that she’d previously cut, she dropped them over the meat, the pan screaming in return. She hummed soundly along with the song while rhythmically tapping the counter.

  
"Mmm. What smells so good?" Kara’s voice sounded like velvet over the music as she approached the CEO.

  
Lena laughed to herself as she dropped potatoes into a steaming pot. She let out a soft purr when she felt warm arms encircle her waist. Kara swayed with Lena to the gentle groove of the song and soon she began to sing along with the lyrics in Lena's ear, Kara's breaths sending shivers throughout her body. She slowly traced her way down Lena's arm eventually intertwining their hands as Lena continued to smash the potato.

  
Without the immediate threat looming over them, they finally had the chance to love each other, without restraints.

  
Kara's lips ghosted over Lena’s ear making her heartbeat go irregular. It didn't take long for her to start peppering her neck with kisses as Kara moved her hand to her waistline.

Quickly turning her around Kara pinned Lena on the counter, soft kisses being placed on her jawline.

  
"Kara, babe, the food." She managed, her breaths starting to get more ragged with each kiss Kara planted. She made her way to Lena's lips.

  
A not-so subtle whimper drawled out from Lena's throat as Kara took the opportunity to deepen the kiss further. Placing her hands under Lena's thighs Kara effortlessly lifted her onto the counter occupying the space between her legs. Kara began to unbutton Lena's blouse, ghosting her lips up Lena’s strained neck, biting softly on the pale flesh.

  
"Tell me what you want." The words were mumbled against her lips as warm hands made soft circles around Lena's torso.

  
Lena felt like everything was on fire, her lips burned from sensation. She even felt like she was actually breathing in smoke until she looked over at the stove.

  
"Fire..."

  
Kara's face twisted in different confused expressions, her eyebrows forming a crease, "...You mean you want to do.." Kara's voice dropped to a whisper as if saying the word was a sin. "BDSM?"

  
"Oh, God Kara, no! The damn stove is on fire." Lena freed herself from Kara's grasp and poured some faucet water onto the frying pan causing a flow of steam to arise. She looked down in disappointment at the sad chicken breast, now black and dried up. Kara joined her at her side looking down at the burnt meal.

  
Supergirl bumped their shoulders together as she trapped her tongue in her teeth, smiling broadly at Lena’s frown, "I mean we could always order in."

  
  
They settled on Asian, Kara getting potstickers while Lena got Chicken tikka. As they ate they watched High School Musical most of it was Kara singing along with the songs much to Lena's amusement. Lena watched Kara as her eyes lit up whenever she recognized a song. She snuggled impossibly closer to Kara feeling content, feeling safe. Lena listened to Kara sing _What I've Been Looking For_. Her voice smooth and gentle.

  
_You were always there beside me_  
_Thought I was alone_  
_With no one to hold_

  
She glanced up to Kara whom looked back with a smile that lit up the entire room, her soft voice continued to resonate through the home filling every space, every crevice.

  
_But you were always right beside me_  
_This feelings like no other_

  
Lena hung onto every word Kara singing to her, she felt the rest of the world block itself out. It was Kara and Lena; together they were unstoppable.

  
_I want you to know_  
_I've never had someone that loves me like you do_  
_The way you do_

  
She felt her eyelids growing heavy and snuggled into Kara's shoulder, smiling into the blonde’s chest as she whispered the rest of the song.

  
_I've never had someone as good for me as you_  
_No one like you so lonely before I finally found_

  
_What I’ve been looking for_

  
Kara kissed Lena's forehead softly, so very softly. Almost as if she hadn't. Kara repositioned them onto the couch so that she was the big spoon. Lena sluggishly opened her eyes while Kara put the blanket over both of them. Grabbing Kara's hand, she draped it over her torso, intertwining their fingers as she hummed in content.

  
“I love you." Lena mumbled sleepily, leaning into Kara’s front.

  
Supergirl’s heart fluttered like a teenager in love. No, it was exactly like that.

  
"I love you too, Lena."

  
She hazily stroked the skin on Lena's lower abdomen as the moon poured through the curtains. Their food grew cold as it lay abandoned on the coffee table. Sleep eventually found its way to Kara - their breaths mingled in the narrow space between them, coating each others lips with the essence of the other with a sense of familiarity. Finally, she was home, and everything was as it was meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL IS GR8


	10. Happy Endings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TIME JUMPS FOR CUTENESS

**5 Months Later**

Lena narrowed her eyes at James and Lucy, who had just taken $400 for Boardwalk from her and Kara. Reluctantly, she handed over the money over the Monopoly board and Lucy squealed in happiness as James kissed her.  
Alex and Maggie were already bankrupt and Winn decided to be the banker, Eliza and J’onn chatting in the background.  
Winn and Maggie nibbled on chips as the game continued, the detective telling him about different crime scenes as he listened intensely, almost missing the sale of Park Place to Lena and Kara.

As the owners of million-dollar companies, the competitiveness in the air was thick between Lena and James; these game nights always ended in an argument, she didn’t know why they had to play Monopoly.

Eventually, Kara and Lena won the game and Kara stuck her tongue out at the other couple, joyously laughing as Lena kissed her cheek.

Eliza brought her attention from her conversation in time to hear Lucy’s claims of cheating, “Lena, dear, would you help me get some more popcorn out please.”

The CEO obeyed and followed her future mother-in-law to the kitchen. How crazy did that sound? In the year she had known Kara, she was accepted by the family, she was liked by the friends, and she was going to get married. If anyone asked her where she would be in 2018, this would not be her first guess.

She stared down at her sapphire engagement ring as Eliza popped another bag of popcorn in the microwave.  
The memory of Kara proposing to her flashed before her eyes – Kara knelt down in her tuxedo at some Gala fundraiser they’d been invited to, saying how she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Lena, and nothing not even time could stop them. Lena had been too shocked to speak so allowed herself to be wrapped in Kara’s tight embrace. Supergirl whispered Kryptonese into her raven black hair, later explaining it was the marriage vow from her planet.  
She remembered how happy she had been in that moment, and that was when she knew Kara could do no wrong. Kara was the one.

“I want to be there for you, dear.” Eliza said, snapping her out of her reverie as she placed a comforting hand on her arm, “I understand your family wasn’t the best.”

“You could say that.” Lena agreed, smiling despite the sharp pain in her heart, “And thank you, for allowing me to marry your daughter.” She still thought there would be some hesitation or wariness, but Eliza had immediately embraced her as part of her family.

“She chose you, Lena. Never forget that.” Eliza winked at her, kissing her forehead softly. Like a mother would.

Lena felt overwhelmed as she returned to the circle they had formed on the floor around the fresh bowl of popcorn. She sat down on Kara’s lap, intertwining their fingers, their rings skimming, causing a small smile to spread across their features.

Alex sat in front of J’onn, explaining the type of plait she wanted in her hair as the Martian complied. This made Kara smile with sadness; he probably used to have to do that to his own daughters.

“—And then when we got there the perps had already taken off so we chased them through the club and arrested them.” Maggie explained.

“What? No gunfight?” Winn looked shocked as he grabbed more popcorn, stuffing it into his eager mouth.

Maggie shrugged in response. James nodded his head once at Lena.

“Help me get some drinks?” James asked the CEO. His voice was soft but there was a concealed roughness she couldn’t put her finger on.

“Of course.” She smiled, following the taller man back into the kitchen.

He grabbed the glasses and offered them to Lena. He didn’t let go of them though, and she was halted from her movements.  
They locked gazes, but instead of finding anger in his eyes, Lena saw regret.

“Be careful with her.” His smooth voice was brought down into a whisper, “I know it seems like she’s bubbly and perfect, but she has scars just like everybody else.”

She glanced back at the diverse family she found herself amongst, “I promise not to hurt her.”

James followed her stare but he dropped his gaze just as quickly, smiling softly at Lucy instead, “She deserves the world. I wanted to hate you, Lena, because I thought no one was good enough for her. But now I know you are.” He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a one-armed hug, “And I’m really glad you’re getting married.”

Lena inhaled deeply, allowing a grateful smile to grace her features, “Thank you, James. Really.”

“Don’t mention it.” He smiled, leading them back to the group, the drinks long forgotten.

“We have an announcement, guys.” Alex called, the braid in her hair unfinished as she stood up addressing her family, “Maggie and I got married last week.”

“We eloped.” The detective clarified as Lena sat down next to her.

“Why didn’t you use tell us?” Kara whined, grabbing her big sister’s leg and shaking it in mock anger.

Alex kicked her off but noted Eliza’s pointed look and cast a smile down at her sister, “I didn’t want to make Maggie feel uncomfortable with a big family wedding.”

Maggie sent her a dimpled smile and James clapped her on the back.

“Congratulations are in order then!” Kara said, hugging Alex properly.

Lucy circled her small arms around the two sisters and squeezed, sending the three into fits of giggles.

Lena bumped Maggie with her shoulder, “How did we fall in love with these idiots?”

“Beats me, Little Luthor.” Maggie said, but she couldn’t help the corners of her mouth twitching up as Alex told their family what happened.

Kara heard the comment and cast her a broad smile, winking as they made eye-contact. Who would have thought it would end up so perfect? Her mother and Mon-El were locked in the best facility the DEO owned with no chance of escape and, more importantly, Kara loved her. Was _in love_ with her. Sometimes Lena felt butterflies in her stomach when she thought about it. She was lucky she was allowed the chance to love the hero. She was glad she hadn’t messed it up.

Supergirl made her way across the room and leaned down, capturing Lena’s lips in a heated kiss. The alien pulled back, releasing the supple lips with a _pop_ , “That’s why you fell in love with me.”

Lena narrowed her eyes, about to retort, when she felt something hit the side of her face and turned to see Winn reloading his slingshot with another piece of popcorn.

“Y’all are being too cute.” Winn shrugged his shoulders, launching the food at them once again.

Instead of moving out of the way, Lena caught the popcorn in her mouth, doing a little victory shimmy much to everyone’s amusement.

“That’s my girl!” Kara shouted, peppering her cheek with kisses.

Lena turned her face around so she could properly kiss her fiancée, the rest of the world blocking out for a second as Kara ran her tongue across her bottom lip. Lena couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her mouth as their tongues met, an electric spark running through her body, igniting her nerve endings. She would never grow old of kissing Kara.  
Lena placed her hand on Supergirl’s cheek, straddling her waist, bringing them impossibly closer.

They heard a shuffle in the background and something along the lines of ‘we’ll see ourselves out’ from Lucy and then silence, allowing them to get lost in each other’s bodies.

Kara pulled away and smiled softly, “I’m glad I saved you that day.”

“Me too.” Lena whispered the words as she bit her lip, her breath hot on Supergirl’s cheeks.

“I love you, Lena.” Kara said, hugging her waist tighter, “And thank you for loving me too.”

“You don’t need to thank me, Kar. We love each other, and nothing will keep us apart.” Lena grinned, bumping their noses together as she placed a reassuring kiss on her love’s lips.

“Are we moving too fast?” Kara asked, frowning slightly as she thought about it for longer.

Lena studied her face for a moment, shrugging her shoulders eventually, “I’m not sure.” She saw Kara’s face drop, saw how her eyes diverted to the floor. Lena touched her cheek, lifting her gaze again, “All I know for sure is that you mean everything to me. And as long as you want me here, I will be by your side.”

“Promise?” Kara’s eyes displayed her insecurities as she thought about everyone she’d lost throughout her life. She crinkled her brow, forcing the memories away.

Lena reached out to massage her forehead, kissing her cheek when Supergirl’s frown disappeared, “I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Ms Luthor.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, Ms Danvers.”

Their foreheads touched and Kara shut her eyes, sighing with content as the dopey grin overtook her features. She squeezed Lena into a hug, burying her nose into that strawberry-scented hair she loved so much.

Supergirl was finally happy, and Lena Luthor had found love. What could be more perfect than that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been fun, frIends!! Hope you guys enjoyed reading/watching it as we did creating it.


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